Four die as Assam floods affect 10 lakh people in 19 districts

Over 1.75 lakh people have been lodged in 74 relief camps while the army, NDRF and SDRF personnel have been deployed in different districts to rescue the marooned people. Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Tinsukia, Jorhat and Goalpara remained the worst affected. Over 2.36 lakh, people have been affected in Dhemaji alone while about 1.35 lakh have been affected in Dibrugarh. Of the four officially declared as having died due to floods, two were in Sonitpur and one each in Nagaon and Morigaon.

[related-post]

While the rivers have overtopped and breached embankment and other flood control infrastructure, damage caused to roads in several districts has affected rescue and relief operations. Incessant rains have added to the problems, while shortage of safe drinking water, sanitation facilities and food for infants, pregnant women and old people have further complicated the situation.

The floods have also inundated and damaged standing crops in over 1.75 lakh hectares, with Dhemaji (66,730 hectares), Dibrugarh (14,000 hectares) and Lakhimpur (13,500 hectares) reporting the maximum damage.