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Assam's flood situation grim
Source: PTI
September 17, 2007 21:40 IST

Assam's flood situation remained grim on Monday with Brahmaputra and its tributaries flowing above the danger level while the three districts of Barak Valley continued to remain cut-off with rest of the country for more than a week, officials said in Guwahati.

The situation may ease to some extent in the next few days with some of the rivers showing a receding trend but mostly all are still flowing above the danger level in the current and third phase of floods to hit the state this year.

The situation in three Barak Valley districts -- Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj -- was critical with river Barak and its tributaries creating havoc, inundating roads and disrupting communication.

The current wave of flood has claimed 60 lives with eight fresh deaths reported from Cachar district since Sunday night while more than 55 lakh people have been affected and more than three lakh hectare of cropland submerged.

The districts hit by floods are Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, Goalpara, Nagaon and Jorhat.

The swirling water has also inundated vast tracts of forest land in several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, including Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, both famed for one-horned rhinos.

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