New Delhi: With heavy rains battering several parts of Assam for the eighth consecutive day, the flood situation continued to remain grim, with flood waters affecting a total of 29 districts. However, the number of people hit by the deluge marginally decreased to 7,11,905, according to a government bulletin on Friday. With four new deaths, the toll reached 14, including five due to landslides. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the total number of people affected were 7,17,500 a day before.
As per the ASDMA bulletin, a total of 86,772 people have taken shelter across 343 relief camps and 21,884 stranded people have been evacuated with the help of NDRF, SDRF and volunteers, so far.
According to a report by news agency PTI, over the last two days, 269 people have been rescued from Dima Hasao district and taken to Silchar with the help of the Indian Air Force. An ISRO team has also been on a rapid damage assessment work in the district with the help of drones and satellite data.
As per the report, the state has allotted an additional Rs 2 crore each to Cachar and Dima Hasao districts for relief to the flood-hit people.
A report by the Central Water Commisison (CWC) said that the Kopili River continued to flow above the danger mark in Kampur amid the heavy rains. The Disang flowed over the danger level in Naglamuraghat, and the Brahmaputra at Nemati ghat, owing to the heavy rainfall for over a week.
According to a report by news agency ANI, the Indian Air Force on Friday has deployed its Chinook heavylift helicopters to deploy NDRF personnel in the flood-hit areas of Haflong. The choppers are also helping in evacuating the people stranded in the area.
Meanwhile, the North-eastern Frontier Railway, in association with the district authorities of Hojai, ran a special train for the rescue and relief of the affected people.
The special train with three coaches, ran from Hojai to Jamunamukh, carrying relief materials for the hit people in make-shift tents beside railway tracks in Hojai Jamunamukh section, an NFR release said.
As a part of its aid, telecom major Reliance Jio has announced to provide a complimentary four-day unlimited plan to the customers in the five severely flood and landslide-affected districts of Assam.
The plan includes unlimited free calls to all other networks and data services up to 1.5 GB per day, along with 100 SMS per day to its customers in Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong East, Karbi Anglong West, Hojai and Cachar district, a statement issued by Reliance Jio said.