From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday talked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over phone and briefed the latter in detail about the latest flood situation of the state where over 14 lakh people have been affected so far in 25 districts.
With one more flood-related death reported from Dhemaji district of Assam, the death toll due to flood and landslide on the state has gone up to five till now.
So far, 14,06,711 people have been affected in the current wave of flood in these 25 districts, according to a communique issued by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Saturday.
As many as 2,168 villages in 80 revenue circles of 25 districts viz. Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Darrang, Baksa, Barpeta, Nalbari, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Goalpara, Morigaon, Hojai, Nagaon, Golaghat, Majuli, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, West Karbi Anglong, Kamrup, Cachar and Dhubri districts of Assam have been affected in the current wave of flood in the state.
Sonowal informed the union minister that flood waters have submerged vast tract of land in several districts of both Brahmaputra and Barak valley of the state and the administrations have been geared up to tackle the situation.
Apprising the Union Home Minister, Sonowal said that all ministers of the state government, MPs, MLAs, panchayat and other public representatives have also been urged to guide the administrations and take part in relief and rescue measures.
Sonowal further informed that 24×7 flood control rooms have been activated and government officials were rendering required services to the marooned people.
He also briefed the union minister about relief-and-rescue operations being carried out in different flood-affected areas of the state and medical services provided to the flood-hit areas.
The Union Home Minister assured to extend all support and assistance from the central government to Assam Government to prevail over the flood situation.
According to the daily bulletin of the Central Water Commission, River Brahmaputra in Jorhat, Sonitpur, Kamrup, Goalpara and Dhubri districts, Burhidehing in Dibrugarh, Subansiri in Lakhimpur, Dhansiri in Golaghat, Jia Bharali in Sonitpur, Kopili in Nagaon, Puthimari in Kamrup, Beki River in Barpeta, Barak in Cachar and Karimganj, Katakhal in Hailakandi and Kushiyara in Karimganj districts are flowing above danger level.
NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) and SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) teams have been deployed in the flood-affected areas for search-and-rescue operation.
Presently, 62 numbers of relief camps are operational in Biswanath, Sonitpur, Baksa, Nalbari, Chirang Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Hojai, Golaghat, Majuli, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia with 20,047 inmates and 172 Relief Distribution Centres in the districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Darrang, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Majuli, Jorhat, Hojai and Tinsukia districts.
Meanwhile, following a major breach at Mohanpur embankment, flood waters have gushed through inundating Mohanpur and other areas of Hailakandi district on Saturday.
Altogether 24 villages of which 10 villages under Hailakandi, 11 villages under Lala and three villages under Katlicherra revenue circles have been affected by flood waters.
98 hectares of cropped areas have been damaged affecting 1,037 farm families.
PWD Road has been submerged at Noagram around one km from Samarikona Bazar tiniali.
The three major rivers of the Barak Valley are flowing above the danger level. Katakhal, Dhaleswari and Barak rivers are flowing above the danger mark at 21.89 metre, 31.10 metre and 20.19 metre, respectively.
The district administration has activated the 24×7 control room for immediate response to the flood situation.