The flood situation in Assam remained grim as 12 more people were killed and 55 lakh people affected across 32 districts with the rising Brahmaputra and Barak rivers inundating new areas, officials said.
Four people died in Hojai, three each were killed in Barpeta and Nalbari, and two people lost their lives in Kamrup, they said.
With these deaths, the toll in this year’s flood and landslides rose to 101, they added.
The flood situation in the three districts of Barak Valley — Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi — remained critical as the water levels of Barak and Kushiara rivers continued to rise, inundating vast tracts of land, officials said.
As per a bulletin of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 54,57,601 people have been affected by the floods in 32 of the 36 districts in the state.
Among the worst-affected districts are Barpeta where 11,29,390 people are suffering, Kamrup where 7,89,496 people are affected and Dhubri where 5,97,153 people are hit by the devastation.
Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited a relief camp at Phulaguri Higher Secondary School in Kapili block in Nagaon district, and interacted with the affected people.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also travelled to Nagaon, by train, to review the situation. He toured the different flood-hit areas in a boat and interacted with the people who have taken shelter at the relief camps in Kampur College and Raha Higher Secondary School.
He also interacted with flood-affected people taking shelter at the Chaparmukh railway station. Sarma met the flood-affected families at makeshift relief camps along the national highway in Nellie in Morigaon district and assured them of all possible help.
Meanwhile as the state is ravaged by floods, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi quoted by ANI said . “If there’s a crisis, it’s that of floods. BJP has gone blind for power. There’re floods in Assam, PM should visit the state, announce special package but he’s busy toppling Maharashtra govt, or in Gujarat elections…Only power is everything for BJP,” Gogoi said.