Guwahati, Sep 29 (IANS) Even as the flood situation in Assam has marginally improved, 2.79 lakh people are still affected in 12 of the state’s 33 districts, while one more person died on Tuesday, officials said.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said that one person was reported dead in Biswanath district, taking the death toll in this year’s monsoon floods to 120.
In the third wave of floods, coming amidst the Covid-19 and economic crisis, over 27,505 hectares of crops in around 460 villages under 12 districts have been inundated, officials said.
The district administrations have set up 39 relief camps, mostly in Nagaon district.
The flood-affected districts are Dhemaji, Biswanath, Kamrup, Hojai, Nagaon, Majuli, Jorhat, Morigaon, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar and West Karbi Anglong.
The officials said that around 50,000 domesticated animals were also affected due to the flood, which also damaged many roads, bridges, embankments, government buildings and schools.
The Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger level at Neamatighat in Jorhat, Guwahati in Kamrup and Sonitpur districts while two of its tributaries, Jia Bharali and Kopili crossed the danger mark in Sonitpur and Nagaon districts, respectively.
Like previous years, Assam, until early August, witnessed devastating floods that killed 120 people in 22 districts, while 26 others were killed in landslides since May 22.
With a respite in monsoon rains, the situation significantly improved in the first week of August even as 57 lakh people were affected in 5,378 villages in 30 districts.
Assam witnessed 12 per cent excess rainfall (1,651.2 mm against normal 1,480 mm) in the four-month (June-September) monsoon period. In September so far, the state recorded 40 per cent excess rainfall (374 mm against normal 266.2 mm).
A six-member Central team led by Sandeep Poundrik, Joint Secretary (Mitigation), National Disaster Management Authority, had visited Assam last month to assess the damage caused by the floods, which also killed wild animals in various sanctuaries and national parks, including the world-famous Kaziranga National Park, where 18 rhinos and 135 others animals died in the deluge.
–IANS
sc/vd