More than 26 lakh people have been affected by floods in 28 districts of Assam as on Sunday, even as the death toll rose to nine.
The deaths were reported in Dhemaji (2), Golaghat (3), Jorhat (2), Barpeta (1) and Dhubri (1). Two other incidents of death due to rainfall-induced landslides were also reported.
According to the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD), there is a likelihood of more rainfall in the State in the next 48 hours.
“The Union Home Minister has reviewed the flood scenario of the State and we have explained him the scenario. The Government of India has assured that the first instalment of the financial package for flood relief would be released soon,” Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management department, told media persons here.
“We have enough fund at our disposal at the moment for relief operations and around Rs 56 crore has been released for districts depending on the requirement,” Krishna said, adding that comprehensive assessment of the damage could only be done after the flood is over.
Last year, fund to the tune of Rs 590 crore was released by the Centre for flood.
The flood-affected districts of the State are Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Darrang, Baksa, Barpeta, Nalbari, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Goalpara, Kamrup, Morigaon, Hojai, Nagaon, Golaghat, Majuli, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Cachar, Dhubri and West Karbi Anglong.
Further, the Brahmaputra river was flowing above danger level at the Neamatighat (Jorhat), Tezpur (Sonitpur), Guwahati, Goalpara and Dhubri points till July 13. Similarly, Burhidehing at Khowang, Subansiri at Badatighat, Dhansiri at Numaligarh, Jia Bharali in Sonitpur, Kopili at Kampur and Dharamtul, Puthimari in Kamrup, Beki in Barpeta, Barak in Cachar, Katakhal at Matizuri, and Kushiyara at Karimganj were also above danger level till July 13.
Krishna also informed that 168 proposals for repairing embankments sent by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been approved so far, for which an amount of Rs 250 crore has already been released.
Teams of the NDRF and the SDRF are stationed at various flood-affected locations for search and rescue operation.
As far as Kaziranga National Park is concerned, around 70 per cent of its total area is affected by flood and the district administration has been put on alert.
