Assam flood situation worsens, over three lakh affected in 13 districts

Guwahati: Assam's flood situation worsened further on Thursday following incessant rainfall in the catchment areas affecting population of nearly three lakh in 13 districts of the state.

The Brahmaputra river was flowing above the danger level at Nematighat in Jorhat and Dibrugarh districts and was maintaining a rising trend in most of the other districts, according to a report issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

River Jia Bharali in Sonitpur, Puthimari in Kamrup and Beki in Barpeta were also flowing above the red mark. Dhemaji, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Jorhat and Goalpara were among the severly affected districts in the state.

A population of 2,96,929 has been affected in 611 villages, while 27,087.13 hectares of farmland were also under flood waters. In the Kokrajhar district, 187 villages were under flood waters, 137 in Dhemaji and in Bongaigaon 113 villages have been affected by the floods.

The respective district administrations have opened 124 relief camps where 84,779 people have taken shelter. Reports of damage of roads, embankments and bridges have also been reported from the affected districts. The death toll in this year's flood in Assam has remained at five two in Lakhimpur and one each in Bongaigaon, Baksa and Sonitpur.