Barring Assam, flood situation in northeast improving, death toll rises to 25

While the water level in the rivers of Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur are receding, it is maintaining a rising trend in the six affected districts of Assam

Two persons died in Cachar and Hailakandi districts in Barak Valley of Assam since yesterday, taking the death toll in the state to 14.

The overall flood situation in the northeast continued to improve on Monday, except in Assam, where two more persons died, taking the death toll due to flood-related incidents in the region to 25, officials said.

While the water level in the rivers of Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur are receding, it is maintaining a rising trend in the six affected districts of Assam.

Two persons died in Cachar and Hailakandi districts in Barak Valley of Assam since yesterday, taking the death toll in the state to 14, according to a report issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) today.

A population of 5, 48,983 in the districts of Nagaon, Hojai, Golaghat, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj have been affected by the flood.

Karimganj district is the worst hit with the Kushiara, Barak and Longai rivers maintaining a rising trend. A total of 2, 34,664 people are affected in the district, the report said.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had directed the Karimganj district authorities to speed up the relief-and-rescue operations and release a one-time financial assistance to the family members of those who died in the flood, official sources said.

The ASDMA report said 437 relief camps were set up across the state, where 1,59,652 people had taken shelter.

A total crop area of 2,186 hectares had been washed away in the flood, it said, adding that damage to embankments, roads and bridges was reported in Cachar, Hojai, Karbi Anglong East, Dima Hasao, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts.

Karbi Anglong East and Dima Hasao had initially been affected by the flood.

The water level of the Dhansiri river at Numaligarh in Golaghat, the Barak river at AP Ghat in Cachar and the Katakhal at Matizur in Hailakandi was rising and these rivers were flowing above the danger level, the report said.

In Tripura, the flood situation had improved with all the major rivers flowing below the danger level, officials said at Agartala.

“The distribution of relief materials, food and medicines are going on in full swing,” D Darlong, District Magistrate of Unakoti, which is the worst-hit, said.

Over 72,000 people in the district were still staying in the relief camps, he added. The flood has so far claimed three lives in Tripura.

The Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express and the Agartaa-Silchar passenger train left the Agartala station today after measuring all the safety norms, NFR Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) P J Sharma said.

The Silchar-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express left from Badarpur, instead of Silchar, for the benefit of thousands of stranded passengers, he added.

Tripura and a portion of Assam were cut off from the rest of the country since June 13 due to landslips and submerging of railway tracks at various locations.

Normal service was still suspended between Silchar and Badarpur, both in Assam, as some portions of the track between the Panchgram and Katakhal stations were still under the flood waters, Sharma said. In Mizoram, the situation had improved with the water level of three rivers receding, officials said at Aizawl.

Normal life resumed at Sairang in Aizawl district and at Bairabi town in Kolasib district, both situated along the Tlawng river after its water level receded.

Several houses in Bawrai and Kanhmun villages, along the Langkaih river, were no longer inundated by the flood waters and the displaced people had returned, the officials said.

(Also Read :Assam: Flood water submerges seven districts, washes away national highways).

However, some houses remained underwater at Tlabung and the nearby villages, along the Khawthlangtuipui river, bordering Bangladesh, they added.

The situation had also improved in Manipur and all the major rivers in Imphal Valley were flowing below the danger level, officials said in Imphal.

Thoubal, Imphal West and Imphal East were currently affected by the flood and relief-and-rescue operations were going on in the three districts, they added.