One drowned, lakhs displaced as floods hit 11 Assam districts

Most rivers in State are in spate; body of drowned man recovered in Meghalaya

A person drowned in western Assam’s Goalpara district on Wednesday as the number of flood-hit districts in the State increased to 11, displacing 2.72 lakh people.

A belated report from Meghalaya said the body of a man who had drowned in an overflowing stream in East Khasi Hills district on May 23 had been recovered on Tuesday.

Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said heavy, incessant rain has led to the flooding of 321 villages across 11 districts, up from seven on Tuesday.

“Most rivers are in spate but the Brahmaputra, Jia Bharali and Puthimari are flowing above the danger mark in Jorhat, Sonitpur and Kamrup districts respectively,” an ASDMA spokesperson said, adding that 16,720 people have been shifted to 51 relief camps in three districts.

The other flood-affected people have made their own makeshift arrangements on higher grounds, district officials said.

Goalpara continued to be the worst-affected district with 2.15 lakh people displaced and one person — gender not specified — killed by drowning in the Rongjuli area. Nalbari followed with 22,332 people affected, including the inmates of the district jail.

ASDMA officials said the flood has so far damaged crop in 2,678 hectares and affected 44,331 domestic animals besides 9,350 domestic fowls. In central Assam’s Dima Hasao district, landslides in three villages destroyed 18 houses, affecting 72 people. Elsewhere, three bridges were washed away and at least 240 km of roads were damaged, blocked or inundated.

CM meets Governor

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday called on Governor Jagdish Mukhi to apprise him of the situation arising out of the dual challenge of combating COVID-19 and floods.