GUWAHATI, July 17 ? The overall flood situation in the State has remained unchanged. The death toll in the current wave of flood which completed its twenty-fourth day today, has gone up to 62 with reports of recovery of three more bodies of the victims of the floods in Saonapur and Sipajhar areas. A three-member assessment team of the International Federation of Redcross and Red Crescent Societies from the Red Cross National Headquarters, New Delhi visited the flood-affected areas of Kamrup and Nalbari districts on July 14 and 15.
The team has emphasised on the post-flood operations like providing shelter materials, drinking water, hygiene and sanitation, facilities to check out break of the communicable diseases and family packages to the poorest of the affected families. The team has already handed over 500 family packages to the State unit of the Red Cross Society, said a press release. Flood situation in Kamrup district is gradually improving even though the situation in Hajo areas remained unchanged. The Hajo areas are completely cut-off from the rest of the State, said an official press release here this evening.
The Army helicopters have been pressed into service for air dropping foodstuff and other relief materials in the affected areas of the district that have been made inaccessible by the floods through roads. Since July 13, the helicopters have completed 31 sorties. Besides, the Army and the Air Force have rendered valuable services in rescue operations in the district, particularly in rescuing the marooned people, said the press release. Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup CP Ramchiary and EAC BN Choudhury have been camping at Hajo to supervise and co-ordinate relief operations there, while all the officers of the Kamrup DC?s office as well as the officers of the other departments concerned, have also been engaged by DC, Kamrup in flood relief duties, said the press release.
Meanwhile, a ten-member disaster management team from the NISA, Hyderabad has also been working for rescuing the marooned people in Hajo areas. The team has brought along with it boats and rescue equipment. The team has its other 30 members waiting as stand by at the LGB International Airport, said the press release. The situation in Maloibari under Sonapur sub-division has remained critical though the overall situation in Kamrup (Metro) district is improving, said a separate official press release. The death toll in the district has gone up to four today with the recovery of two more bodies from Digarupar near Khetri under Sonapur Revenue Circle. The bodies have been identified to be those of Dharani Swargiary and Manik Karmakar.
The current wave of the floods has affected 56,500 people in 60 villages of the district. Villagers of 12 villages have been shifted to safer places and 32 relief camps have so far been opened to shelter the affected people, said the press release.
Our Correspondents report:
Nalbari: Bhutan?s Samdrup Jhankhar Deputy Commissioner Sanghy Dorji yesterday denied the reports of breach in the Kurisu hydel project dam. He was talking to the Indian Army officers posted on the Indo-Bhutan border. No doubt, the sources in the Indian Army said that a portion of the Bhutanese dam became weak due to the pressure of the storm water accumulating in it following the incessant rain since the last week of June. Road communication between the Bhutanese district bordering Nalbari district of Assam was disrupted following the damage caused by the floods to the roads of Nalbari district on the Indian side, said the sources.
Meanwhile, the affected people of Parkijuli, Sapatal and Charang jungle villages on the Indo-Bhutan part of Nalbari district alleged before this correspondent today that the district administration of Nalbari had been doing nothing in the name of supplying relief materials to them. Even the Deputy Commissioner of the district is yet to visit them, they said. Army airlifted 219 villagers on July 7 and 9 fro the area and later, the Army pressed into service its boats to rescue 250 more people from the area.
Rangiya: Situation remained critical for the sixth consecutive day today in the Rangiya sub-division. The Puthimari breached its embankment at Bagaribari village and inundated many villages. This brought some new areas of Pub-Borigog and Panduri mouzas under the floodwaters. Rangiya town is still reeling under floodwaters. The Rangiya subd-divisional unit of the AASU today demanded equal treatment to all the flood -affected people in matters of distribution of relief materials.
Meanwhile, the Rangiya Lions Club, Bajrangdal and the State BJP workers have been distributing relief materials among the affected people of the sub-division. The Rangiya sub-divisional civil administration is working round the clock for the rescue of the marooned people and distribution of relief materials among the affected people.
Sipajhar: The body of Rubul Ali, an eight year-old student of the Buchachuba LP School, who was missing for the last few days due to high flood was recovered from the Marasuti Jan today. The overall situation in the Sipajhar Revenue Circle has remained unchanged.