Assam flood: Situation continues to improve but death toll rises to 26, 5.8 lakh still reeling

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Assam flood news updates: The situation in Assam, where the pre-monsoon floods have affected large parts of the state for the past few days, continue to improve but the situation is still grim in Nagaon, Cachar and Morigaon districts. The water level in most parts of the state is receding and the number of flood-affected districts has also come down on Tuesday (May 24).

According to the report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), nearly 5.80 lakh people of 18 districts are still reeling under the deluge. The report from the disaster authority stated that nearly 3.46 lakh people have been affected alone in Nagaon district followed by 1.78 lakh in Cachar district, and 40941 in Morigaon district.

One person died on Tuesday after drowning in floodwaters in Cachar district, taking the death toll in flood and landslides to 26. As per the report, 64098.92 hectares of cropland and 1,374 villages are still underwater.

Know more details about Assam flood: 

ASDMA said more than 5,80,100 persons are still affected by the flood in Cachar, Darrang, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong West, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari and Sonitpur districts.

Nagaon is the worst hit with over 3.46 lakh people suffering, followed by Cachar with nearly 1.78 lakh persons and Morigaon with more than 40,900 people.

At present, 1,374 villages are under water and 64,098.92 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam, ASDMA said.

A total of 81,712 flood-affected people are currently in 346 relief camps set up by the district administration. The administration of flood-hit districts also set up 182 relief distribution centres.The water level of Kopili river is still flowing above danger level mark at Kampur and Dharamtul.

ASDMA in a separate press release said that a six-member inter-ministerial central team led by Ravinesh Kumar of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will on May 27 and 28 visit Cachar, Dima Hasao, Darrang, Nagaon and Hojai districts to assess the extent of loss caused by flood and landslides.

Brahmputra's tributary Kopili is flowing above the danger mark at Dharamtul and Kampur. Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by flood waters in Barpeta, Nalbari, Dibrugarh, Cachar, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Hoja, Karimganj, Morigaon, Nagaon and Udalguri, it said.

A total of 3,09,406 domestic animals and poultry have been affected in the deluge across nine districts, ASDMA said.

Authorities are running 528 relief camps and distribution centres in 12 districts where 81,712 people, including 18,107 children, have taken shelter, it said.

They have distributed 1,457.41 quintals of rice, dal and salt, 6,747.07 litres of mustard oil, 9,161.8 quintals of cattle feed and other flood relief items.

To cope up with the current flood and landslide situation, 20 mega phones have been provided to Barak Valley districts for emergency communication purposes, the ASDMA bulletin added.

Rescue operation amid flood situation: 

The Army, the Assam Rifles, the National Disaster Response Force, and the State Disaster Response Force, along with the district administrations, continue to work round the clock to rescue the stranded people and to provide relief to the marooned men, women and children.

Assam CM visit in affected areas: 

Officials said that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday visited landslide areas at Sarkari Bagan in Haflong which witnessed heavy mudslides triggered by incessant rain on Tuesday.

He also visited relief camps and interacted with the camp inmates at Lower Haflong.He also visited the homes of those persons killed in landslides at Hokai Pungchi Village in Haflong.

Sarma, in a meeting at Haflong Circuit House, reviewed the situation and took stock of the extent of damages caused by rain-induced landslides in the mountainous Dima Hasao district.

Several Ministers, including Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta, Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika, and Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, are camping in the flood-ravaged areas to supervise the rescue and relief operations.

The situation in the hill section of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in Dima Hasao district remained serious on Tuesday as inclement weather continued to batter the area, affecting the Lumding-Badarpur single line railway route, which connects Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the southern part of Assam with the rest of the country.

According to NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer, Sabyasachi De, in the Lumding Division, train services have been either cancelled till June end.

(With agencies inputs)

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