Assam floods: Water level recedes in many areas, Barpeta district worst-hit

Guwahati: Assam’s flood situation improved on Tuesday with the water levels of Brahmaputra and its tributaries receding in several places and not flowing above the danger mark anywhere, officials said.

According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), floodwaters claimed the life of a person in Barpeta district, taking the toll to six so far. In all, 1,21,247 people comprising 55,688 men, 54,954 women and 10,605 children are reeling under the impact of floods in 11 districts of the state, down from 1,55,896 on Monday, the ASDMA said.

The affected districts are Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari and Tamulpur.

Officials said Barpeta is the worst-hit district with 67,057 people affected, followed by 41,280 in Bajali, 9,250 in Lakhimpur and 2,963 in Nalbari districts.

Currently, 115 relief camps are operating across the state sheltering 713 people. Authorities have set up 106 relief distribution centres with 44 in Barpeta, 30 in Nalbari, 26 in Bajali, among others.

Altogether 514 villages have been inundated and 2389.23 hectares of crop area damaged, ASDMA said.

Two embankments have been breached in Jorhat district while a bridge was damaged in Barpeta district. Floodwaters have also damaged 60 roads in Barpeta, Bajali, Biswanath, Dhubri, Karimganj and Nalbari, officials said.

Large-scale erosion has also been reported from Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Dhubri, Nalbari, Sonitpur and Tinsukia and Udalguri, the bulletin added.