Assam flood situation worsens; relief operations underway

The flood situation in Assam turned worse on Friday with most of the people in Dhemaji district affected by flood, while 75 per cent of Kaziranga National Park submerged by the deluge that has also affected Jorhat, Kamrup, Tinsukia, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur districts.

Six lakh of the seven lakh population in Dhemaji district was reeling under the floods with 100 interior villages marooned, while breaches of river embankments at a number of places caused the water from swollen rivers to rush into human habitations and agricultural fields, official sources said.

The state and National Disaster and Relief Forces have been pressed into service for relief and rescue operations, they said.

Due to the rains in Arunachal Pradesh, the water coming downstream has also entered the Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat district affecting its Burapahar and Bagori ranges.

At least 15 of the 125 anti-poaching camps were submerged by the overflowing Brahmaputra, the KNP authorities said, adding, Section 144 CrPC would be imposed tonight if necessary on the National Highway passing by the side of the Park to control the speed of vehicles.

This was to protect small animals such as deer, hog deer, boar, tortoise and wild ducks coming out from the water-logged Park from being hit by speeding vehicles.

In Jorhat district, Asia's largest river island Majuli was cut off from the rest of the country with the indefinite halting of ferry service due to danger posed by the swelling Brahmaputra, the sources said.

At least 20 villages in Kamrup (Rural) district's Rangiya were submerged forcing people to take shelter on highlands, schools and along railway tracks, the sources said.

The district administrations were providing relief to the flood-hit people and even opened shelter camps for their succour.