Over 27 lakh still affected by floods in Assam, death toll climbs to 81

india

Updated: Jul 27, 2019 13:01 IST

While the flood situation in parts of upper Assam improved, several districts in lower Assam continued to remain affected on Friday. With five new deaths, total casualties rose to 81.

According to a report by the state disaster management authority, parts of 17 districts of the state, most of them in lower Assam, remained inundated. Over 2000 villages in 61 revenue circles are affected.

On Thursday, an alert was sounded in Barpeta, Nalbari, Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri and South Salmara districts following release of water from the Kurichhu hydro power plant in Bhutan, which led to a rise in water level of several rivers downstream in Assam.

With the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorolgy, Bhutan releasing an advisory on Friday afternoon about very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in southern and eastern parts of the country on Saturday, people in lower Assam districts continue to remain under threat.

Nearly 27 lakh people are still affected by the second wave of flood in the state this season. Over 1.5 lakh people displaced by flood waters are taking shelter in 929 relief camps across the state.

The Brahmaputra continued to flow above the danger mark at one place each in Jorhat and Dhubri districts while the Puthimari, Jia Bharali and Beki rivers were flowing over the red level at several places.

On Friday, Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat called his Assam counterpart Sarbananda Sonowal and annouced Rs 5 crore as financial aid from his government to the flood-affected people of Assam.