Pix: Flood victims in for tough days ahead in Assam

If it weren't for the timely help of the brave army personnel, most of the people would have been washed away by the surging waters of the BrahmaputraRiver that inundated many villages under Naduar Revenue Circle of Sonitpur district on June 27. K Anurag reports.

"Our houses have been damaged and most of the livestock washed away. We have survived the flood fury with the help of the army to tell the tales of our woes now," said 38-year-old Renu Saikia of Pubmalakhanda village.

A population of 1,12,872 from 58 villages has been affected by the unprecedented devastating flood in this revenue circle of north Assam.

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The authorities have set up 43 relief camps where over 35,000 flood-hit have taken shelter and are surviving on rice, pulses and salt distributed by the administration and the army.

A total 13,671 hectares of crop land has been inundated, while a large number of domestic animals including cows, bullocks, goats have been washed away. Large numbers of people are also taking shelter on embankments and the highway.

"I haven't seen flood of such magnitude and fury during my lifetime. The last big flood was in 1984. The Brahmaputra breached its embankment in two places on June 27 and created havoc," said 65-year-old farmer Ramen Hira of Senimari village.

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"The army has deployed 800 personnel and about 175 motor boats to rescue and provide relief to marooned people. So far, we have evacuated over 6,000 people in Sonitpur district where the administration is cooperating in a laudable way," said Major General R N Nair, general officer commanding 21 (Red Horn) division.

"We have helped distribution of relief materials and medicines. What is of great concern is the scarcity of drinking water as most of the areas are still under flood water, though it is receding since Monday," he said.

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The medical teams deployed by both the army and district administration have aired apprehension about a possible outbreak of cholera in the area because of lack of sufficient drinking water, as the flood is receding.

"We have treated flood-hit suffering from skin diseases, fungal infection on feet, dysentery, gastro-enteritis, flu and depression. Most of the children are suffering from skin diseases and bacillary dysentery," an army doctor Arun Kumar said.

A large area under Naduar Revenue Circle is now stinking with foul smell emanating from decaying carcasses livestock.

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"We have hired a JCB to dig pits in the area to dump carcasses of animals after treating those chemically so that outbreak of diseases could be prevented," the army GOC said while overseeing rescue operation at Bokabil Chapori village located about 5 kilometers towards south from the National Highway 52 connecting north Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The relief materials like rice, dal, salt, baby food distributed by the district administration is yet to reach some far flung flood ravaged areas. The administration in Sonitpur district has claimed to have distributed over 10,122 quintals of rice, 1,705 quintals of dal, 478 quintals of salt, 2,928 packets of baby food, 70 quintals of flattened rice, 7 quintals of molasses and 7,275 pieces of tarpaulin only for flood-hit under Naduar Revenue Circle.

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