Flood situation improves; two more die, 9.68 lakh hit

Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam continued to improve on Wednesday although two more persons lost their lives taking the toll to 186 and over 9.68 lakh people in 15 districts are still reeling under the deluge, an official bulletin said.

Nearly 11.17 lakh people in 16 districts of the North-eastern state were affected by the calamity on Tuesday. According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, two persons, both children, drowned in Kamrup Metropolitan and Nagaon districts during the day. With this, the total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood and landslides has gone up to 186 across the state.

Cachar is the worst-hit district with nearly 5.7 lakh people suffering from the flood, followed by Nagaon (1.89 lakh) and Morigaon (1.58 lakh). The authorities are running 295 relief camps and distribution centres in 16 districts, where 1,35,166 people, including 40,920 children, have taken shelter.

Massive erosions have been witnessed in Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Hojai, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Majuli, Morigaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts.

PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the Centre and the Assam government are working together to minimise the problems faced by people during the ongoing floods in the state.

While virtually inaugurating the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Assamese newspaper 'Agradoot', he said the state and its people are struggling due to the devastating floods this year, but Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his team are working hard to provide succour to the affected people.

"I have been regularly speaking with the CM and others. I want to assure the people of Assam that the central and the state governments are working together to minimise people's problems," he said.