Assam flood toll climbs to 104 as one more dies

GUWAHATI: Assam floods claimed one more life in Golaghat district on Tuesday, taking the overall toll to 104 in the state, while the number of people to be affected came down to 19.18 lakh in 21 districts. Twenty-two people have so far lost their lives due to landslides in different parts of the state since May 22.
An official of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said the flood situation has considerably improved overnight despite the death, with the number of affected people coming down from 26.38 lakh on Saturday, when 27 districts were affected.
According to the daily flood bulletin by ASDMA, over 1,700 villages are still inundated and over 42,000 people have taken shelter in 236 government-run relief camps.
Nearly 1 lakh hectare of agriculture land continues to be under water, the ASDMA bulletin said.
According to a bulletin by the Central Water Commission (CWC), Brahmaputra, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali and Kopili rivers continued to flow above the danger level at several places. “As heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast from July 28 to 30, the (water) levels are expected to rise further,” the CWC advisory said.
The flood situation in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) has also eased a bit with nearly 75% area of the park spread over 430 sq km inundated currently, down from 90% even a few days ago.
Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal also inspected the erosion caused by Suwansiri river at Na Ali Bali Ghat in Lakhimpur District on Tuesday. “In the last seven decades since independence, Narendra Modi was the country’s first Prime Minister to take a scientific approach to find out a permanent solution to the flood and erosion problem of the northeast,” Sonowal said.
“The high-level committee constituted by the PM under the chairmanship of the Niti Aayog vice-chairman recommended for constitution of the North East Water Management Authority for tackling the perennial flood and erosion problem of the region. The central government would take necessary steps for its implementation in the forthcoming session of Parliament,” Sonowal said in a government statement.