Assam: Three Dead In Landslide Incidents, 25,000 People Affected By First Wave Of Flood Amid Incessant Rains

Assam State Disaster Management Authority reported till May 14, a total of 24,681 people in 94 villages in six districts have been affected.

New Delhi: Three people including one woman died in landslide incidents in the Haflong area in Dima Hasao district on Saturday, around 25,000 people have been affected by the first wave of the floods this year across six districts of Assam. Incessant rain in the past couple of days in Assam and neighbouring states – Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh – has led to the rise of water levels in several rivers and the Kopli river is flowing above the danger level, ANI reported.

The floodwaters have also submerged 1732.72 hectares of cropland in the flood-hit districts.

According to the flood reports of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), till May 14, a total of 24,681 people in 94 villages in six districts - Cachar, Dhemaji, Hojai, Karbi Anglong West, Nagaon and Kamrup (Metro) have been affected in the first spell of flood, ANI reported. Over 21,000 people have been affected alone in the Cachar district.

The Army, paramilitary forces, SDRF, Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday had rescued 2,150 people from flood-hit areas of Cachar district. Several roads, bridges, and irrigation canals were damaged in Hojai, Lakhimpur, Nagaon districts.

According to a PTI report, Deputy commissioner Nazreen Ahamed in an advisory alerted people to avoid travelling and to restrict their movement as road conditions have become vulnerable following heavy rainfall, leading to mud slips and landslides in different locations of the district.

The Centre has released for Assam Rs 125 crore from its Flood Control Fund for the current fiscal, an official release said on Friday as reported by PTI earlier this week. Minister for Water Resources Pijush Hazarika called on Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Delhi on Friday and thanked him for the assistance, it said.

Hazarika also requested Shekhawat to release more funds under the scheme in the coming days for facilitating projects that could make Assam free of flood menace.