NEW DELHI, Jul 6 (NNN-PTI) – The ongoing floods in India’s north-eastern state of Assam, have affected over 2.1 million people and so far, killed 52, officials said, yesterday.
The situation continues to be grim in the flood-hit 29 districts of the state.
On Thursday six more deaths due to flooding were reported from across the state, bringing the death toll to 52.
According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 3,208 villages are inundated, and over 57,018 hectares of crop area have been damaged across the affected districts.
The local authorities have set up 247 relief camps and 451 distribution centres in the affected districts, where 763,660 people, including 189,242 children, have been provided food and shelter.
Officials said, rescue and relief operations have been intensified by the local administration, in the state’s 29 affected districts, where 2,113,204 people are affected by the floods.
As per the Central Water Commission (CWC), Brahmaputra, Burhi dihing, Dikhow, Disang, Dhansiri, Kopili, Barak, Dhaleswari, Katakhal and Kushiyara rivers are flowing above the danger level.
Authorities have pressed into service disaster response force personnel in the affected areas, for relief and rescue operations. The disaster management body said, apart from rescue personnel from the civil administration, the State Disaster Response Force, the National Disaster Response Force, Indian Air Force and army are involved in the rescue and relief efforts.
This is the third wave of flooding in the state in less than two months.
In May, Cyclone Remal, which made landfall on the Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal coasts on May 26, had also led to floods in Assam. Later on in the second half of June, Assam received incessant rainfall for over a week, leading to flooding in several parts of the state.
Floods are an annual occurrence in Assam during the monsoon season.– NNN-PTI
