GUWAHATI, July 24 ? There is no change in the overall flood situation in the State. The current wave of the floods, which started on June 24 last completed its 31st day today. Rail and road communication between upper and lower Assam remained snapped for the sixth day even as some attempts have been made by the authorities today to send essential items to some of the upper Assam areas from the city via Mangaldoi. Around twelve million people in 10,067 villages in all the 27 districts of the State have so far been affected by the current wave of floods. The flood has claimed 135 human lives according to the official estimates, till date. It has also affected a crop area of 7,75,034 hectares. About two lakh houses have been fully damaged by the floodwaters and it has left about four lakh houses damaged partially.
According to the official flood bulletin issued this evening, water levels of almost all the rivers are receding even as the Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at several places. The number of affected people has been cited to be 1,17,47,213. Water level on the Railway lines and on the National Highway 37 is also receding in Nagaon district, where the flood situation is reported to be marginally improved. With the report of drowning of one Niranjan Deb Nath (55) of village Matikhola under Hojai revenue circle, the death toll in the district has risen to three. In Cachar district, the water level of Barak is receding gradually. Around 10.50 lakh people of 540 villages in the district have been affected by the current wave of floods. About 465 kilometres of roads have been submerged by floodwaters and road communication in several places still remain disrupted. Relief and rescue operations by civil authorities with the assistance of the Army are continuing at Silchar town, Sonai, Lakhipur and Udarbond areas.
The situation remains unchanged in Karimganj district. Road communication from Karimganj to Cachar and Hailakandi still remains disrupted. In Dhubri district, around 15.5 lakh people of 994 villages have been affected and road communication remains disrupted due to submergence of the NH 31 between Gaurang bridge and Sonamukhi. Three persons so far reported to have been drowned in floodwaters under South Salmara and Mankachar sub divisions, while, two more fatalities from Golokganj circle under Dhubri sub-division have been reported. In Majuli sub-division of Jorhat district, the overall situation remains unchanged and the road communication remains disrupted. However, the Brahmaputra and Subansiri are receding.
In Barpeta district, one more person has been reported drowned in the district and with this, the death toll in the district has gone up to 15.
The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) today denied that it had released any excess water by opening gates in its Kopili Hydro-electric project. Nor there is any dam/dyke breach in the project as reported in a section of the media, said the NEEPCO in a Press release here this evening. It attributed the turbulence of the Kopili floodwater to unprecedented rainfall in the last few weeks and claimed that the reservoirs of the Kopili project, had rather reduced the devastation caused by the current wave of floods in the downstream of the river. The East Hailakandi BSS Club, in a memorandum to Prime Minister demanded that the flood problem of Barak valley should be declared as a national one.
Meanwhile, the All Guwahati Students? Union (AGSU) has made a fervent appeal to the people to donate generously to its flood relief centres.
Our Correspondents report:
Badarpur: The overall flood situation of the Railway town of Badarpur remains unchanged even as the floodwaters are receding at a slow pace. Road and Railway communication between Badarpur and Silchar, Badarpur and Karimganj are still disrupted. NH 44 is yet to become suitable for plying of vehicles as a major portion of the road is still under water. The entire Badarpur town has been affected this year by flood in a severe manner after a gap of 19 years. This year?s flood crossed the previous high flood level records of 1956, 1966, 1976,1985, 1986, 1991 and 1994. Seven persons including two children have died so far due to drowning in floodwaters.
Tezpur: The body of Sanjeev Sarma, a class VI student of Solmara high school, who was washed away by the floodwaters of Jiabharali on July 20, was recovered by the river police yesterday. So far, the death toll in the district has risen to seven in the current wave of floods.
Jagiroad: The body of Arup Jyoti Bora, owner of Morigaon service station of the IOC and a resident of Silpukhuri, Guwahati, was recovered at Dimaruguri, about nine kilometres away from here today. He was drowned in floodwaters at Jagi Bhakat Gaon area on July 22 when a country boat carrying 20 persons capsized. With this the death toll in Morigaon district has gone up to 17. The situation remains still critical and about 7.15 lakh people of 598 villages of the district have so far been affected by the flood, which also affected 56,973.48 hectares of crop land.
Rangiya: The overall situation remains grim at Rangiya even as floodwaters started receding today. One Rohul Ali (7) of Kachari Solmari village drowned near his residence. Troops of Tamulpur Brigade from its Kamalpur camp, accompanied by the Chaygaon based Army engineers and civil administration have so far rescued 128 persons from the affected areas of the sub-division. The Army has also been organising medical camps in the flood-affected areas, while, it has pressed into service a mobile medical team. Army lady doctors are of big help to the expecting mothers in the affected areas.