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GUWAHATI: The flood situation in the state took a turn for the worse affecting close to 1.90 lakh people across nine districts with one death reported from Dhemaji district on Thursday, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority bulletin informed. The overall death toll in the first wave of floods in the state has risen to 15. The deluge affected districts include Dhemaji, where over 90,000 people have been affected, followed by Majuli, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Biswanath and Golaghat. Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, meanwhile, took stock of the situation and directed deputy commissioners to reach out to the affected people on a war footing. Interacting with deputy commissioners through video conference, Sonowal asked them to provide essential relief material to the affected people while taking care of the quality of the items distributed. In view of the recent spike in corona virus cases in the state, the chief minister asked the deputy commissioners to ensure that the district machinery adheres to all safety protocols while negotiating with the flood relief and rescue operations. Sonowal further asked the deputy commissioners to ensure that people strictly follow safety norms including using masks, etc. He made it categorically clear to make available adequate medical facilities in the relief camps. The deputy commissioners were also directed to hold meetings with the office bearers of chambers of commerce to ensure availability of essential items. Besides, they were asked to maintain close liaison with the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. Regarding the damaged bridge leading to the Baghjan gas well, where a fire is raging since June 9, the chief minister asked the Tinsukia deputy commissioner to ensure that the movement of fire tankers to and from the site was not hindered. He also asked the deputy commissioner to take measures to lay one Bailey bridge to ensure unhindered movement of vehicles engaged in emergency services. In regard to the surging water in Lakhimpur, Barpeta, Chirang and Baksa districts, he asked the deputy commissioners to have constant vigilance over the water level in their respective districts especially in the wake of reported release of water from Bhutan. Meanwhile, the chief minister directed the superintendents of police to sensitize their monitoring to nab anyone indulging in anti-social activities while taking advantage of the present situation. He further asked the Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) to take steps to avert any accidents purportedly by electrocution.
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