Assam flood crisis slowly abating, 7 more deaths reported, 12.33 lakh people affected

Guwahati, July 13 (IANS) The overall flood situation in Assam further improved on Friday but seven more deaths were reported while 12.33 lakh people remain affected in 24 of the state’s 35 districts, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said. ASDMA officials said that of the seven fresh deaths on Friday, five people of a family died after a boat carrying about 20 people sunk in the flood waters at Simlitola in Goalpara district.All the five bodies have been recovered.Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accompanied by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal, visited the accident site and met the bereaved family. He announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of each victim.One drowning death each was reported from the Nagaon and Jorhat districts.Till Friday, at least 90 people died due to the current flood in 23 districts and around 10 more people died due to landslides and other calamities after the monsoon rain started early last month. The highest number of deaths (22) were reported in Cachar district.ASDMA officials said that the number of affected people has come down from over 24.20 lakh in 30 districts as of July 5. They said that the flood water also inundated over 32,924 hectares of crop area in 2,406 villages in 24 districts while over 6.67 lakh domestic animals have also been badly affected by the flood.Of the 24 flood-affected districts, Dhubri, Cachar, Dhemaji, Darrang, Goalpara, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Majuli, and South Salmara are the worst hit.The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at Neamatighat, Tezpur, and Dhubri, while Burhidihing, Disang, and Kushiyara rivers are also flowing above the danger level in many places.The ASDMA officials said that over 39,000 people including women are sheltered in the 316 relief camps set up by the district administrations, while 130 relief distribution centres are functioning in different districts.As the vast areas of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) were submerged, wild animals were also affected. The park authorities continued their efforts to rescue the animals, provide medical treatment, and prevent poaching. Till Friday evening, 135 wild animals have been rescued while 180 animals, including deer, rhino, and hog deer, have drowned in flood waters, KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh told the media.–IANSsc/vd