No let-up in north Assam flood situation; toll stands at 19

The over all flood situation in the north Assam district of Lakhimpur is remaining unchanged and army jawans are still in the rescue operation and more and more marooned peoples are shifting to safer places. A vast tracts of human habitation and farmland have been submerged and over ten-lakh people have been affected by the flood where the unofficial death toll is said to be 19. Five people were reportedly washed away by the river Ranganadi and their bodies are yet to be found. Boats and rafts were deployed by the army to transport people sheltering on roof tops to relief camps set up in highlands, schools and colleges. Flash floods in catchment areas of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh submerged Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts breaching dykes at several areas. The two districts were cut off from the rest of the country as NH-52 linking them was inundated halting movement of vehicular traffic. Heavy erosion caused by Brahmaputra completely submerged Pabhokhati village under Bhuragaon Revenue circle rendering 40 families homeless. Heavy rains in Guwahati on Monday caused severe water-logging in most of its areas disrupting normal life.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is making an aerial survey on the flood affected areas in the north Assam distict. In yet another development, AGP MPs Sarbananda Sonowal and Kumar Dipak Das on Monday called on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and apprised him of the flood situation in the north Assam districts and urged him to take necessary steps in this regard.