In PICS: Assam floods displace 5.77 lakh

Gogoi informed that this year's flood affected over 5.77 lakh people from 21 revenue circles in nine districts of the state. The situation was grave in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Sonitpur districts. The floods have claimed four lives so far.

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The flood affected crop land spread over 15,941 hectares in over 500 villages across the districts. People displaced by the floods were sheltered in 262 relief camps.

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Gogoi warned that there might be another bout of floods in September if there is intense rainfall in hills of neighbouring states, where other rivers originate before converging into the Brahmaputra in Assam.

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The chief minister claimed that the devastation due to floods could have been much more if the government had not built and repaired many of the embankments.

He said state government would constitute a disaster management force to deal with the flood devastation, as well as other natural calamities.

The force would be handy in providing prompt relief and rehabilitation in the wake of any natural calamities.

Meanwhile, Japanese encephalitis and malaria which become rampant around this time of the year have claimed 86 lives in Assam so far. Gogoi informed that out of these, 29 deaths were because of encephalitis.

He said Sivasagar district in Upper Assam was the worst hit by Encephalitis.

The state government has so far covered 30 lakh children in the age group of 1-15 years under the Japanese Encephalitis vaccination drive, and adult population will be covered in the next phase of vaccination.

Moreover, 35 lakh chemically treated mosquito nets have been provided to poor families in all the 27 districts to prevent incidence of malaria.

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