Guwahati: The flood waters showed a receding trend in Assam where the death toll due to rain-related incidents rose to 59 on Saturday even as 24 of the state’s 33 districts remained inundated, officials said.
The waters of the deluge, which wrecked large scale devastation across the state, receded from Baksa, Hojai and Majuli districts but continued to submerge 1.51 lakh hectare of crop land and a large part of Kaziranga National Park, where 10 rhinos have been killed.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) flood bulletin, five deaths reported from Morigaon district, three from Barpeta, two from South Salmara and one each from Nalbari and Dhubri districts during the day taking the toll to 59.
At least 3,024 villages in the affected districts continued to be under water and 44,08,142 people are hit in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Darrang, Barpeta, Nalbari, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Morigaon, Nagaon, Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Cachar and Karimganj districts, it said.
A Defence release said that a large scale flood relief operation is underway in flood-hit areas of lower Assam by the Army and rescue columns are operating round the clock. Despite incessant heavy rain, 488 persons were evacuated and rescued while relief material was provided to another 450 people. Disaster relief tasks have been executed on a war footing in Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhekiajuli and Morigaon districts, it said.
In the districts where the waters have ebbed, the displaced people are returning to their homes.
The ASDMA bulletin said over 1.32 lakh displaced people are still in 689 relief camps and 240 relief distribution centres set up by the district administrations. (PTI)
