Guwahati: The fresh wave of flood in Assam has so far claimed five persons and rendered about 11 lakhs homeless in 1,752 villages from 19 districts of the state.
The water level in the main channel of Brahmaputra River is flowing above the danger mark in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur and Dhubri while at least eight of its tributaries are also flowing above the danger level, according to the report of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
Meanwhile, ferry services across the Brahmaputra River has been suspended indefinitely all over the state including between Guwahati by the authorities in as water level in the river continues to show a rising trend.
The situation was reported to be grave in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Majuli districts. The district administration has closed down 225 schools in flood-affected areas in Tinsukia district. The Brahmaputra has breached one more embankment in Majuli river island district where situation is fast turning serious.
The 19 districts so far affected due to the current wave of flood included Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur Baksa, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Morigaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. Total crop area of over one lakh hectare hectares has been inundated so far across these districts.
Meanwhile, authorities have set up 137 relief camps and 131 relief distribution centres in the affected district. So far, 63,797 persons have taken shelter in these relief camps, the officials in the disaster management authority said.
A large portion of Kaziranga National Park located bang on the south bank of Brahmaputra River has once again been inundated forcing the Park authorities to set up coordination with NGOs to protect flood-hit animals. Dibru- Saikhowa National park in eastern Assam has been surbmerged under flood water.