Assam floods claim 67 lives, leave thousands homeless

Assam has suffered huge losses in terms of lives, property, cropped land, dwellings and infrastructure in three waves of flood that have hit the state so far this year. Last week’s deluge wreaked havoc in Kamrup and Goalpara claiming 67 lives and leaving behind a trail of destruction.

More than 42 lakh from 4,446 villages have been affected while thousands of people have been rendered homeless. A total of 54,088 houses have been fully damaged while 82,095 houses are destroyed partially by the floods.

The government has established 800 relief camps to shelter over seven lakh flood-hit people. An estimated 3,72,178.40 hectares of crop area has been affected while 10,91,493 livestock have been lost.

A number of breaches have taken places at embankments of the river , Brahmaputra, Ranganadi, Morapagladia, Dohkonia, Brahmajan, Solengi, Chatran, Doulapathar, Nonoi, Jiadhal, Buridehing, Krishnai, Damas and Saralbangha.

The revenue and disaster management department of the state has collated estimated reports from 23 flood-hit districts of the state -- Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup (M), Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Tinsukia and Udalguri. A final assessment of the damages caused by this year’s flood is being compiled by the concerned departments.

Image: Over 4.2 lakh people have been hit by the floods in Assam. Photograph: Reba Bora