Guwahati: Even as over a month-long flood situation in Assam marginally improved on Saturday, three more persons were killed in two districts, taking the death toll due to the deluge in the state to 79, while around 28 lakh people in 26 of the 33 districts remaiend affected.
Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that of the 28 lakh affected people, around 16.25 lakh are in four districts -- Dhubri (469,265), Goalpara (448,858), Barpeta (354,707) and Morigaon (351,620).
According to Forest Department and ASDMA officials, at least 96 animals were killed, and 132 animals rescued even as 95 per cent of the world-famous Kaziranga national park, home to more than 2,200 one-horned Indian rhinoceros, remained inundated.
The officials said that over over a month, 79 deaths due to the floods took place in South Salmara, Darrang, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Morigaon, Tinsukia, Dhubri, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Udalguri, Goalpara and Dibrugarh districts, while 26 others have been killed in separate landslides since May 22.
The ASDMA officials said that Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, Kopili, Beki, Barak, Kushiyara and the Brahmaputra rivers are flowing above the danger mark in many places in nine districts.
The floodwater has inundated 2,678 villages, and 116,404 hectares of crop area in 26 districts.
The district administrations have set up 711 relief camps and distribution centres in 28 districts, where around 51,500 men, women and children have taken shelter.
Districts of Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, Morigaon, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Darrang, Nalbari, Kamrup (Rural), Nagaon, Golaghat are the worst-hit.
Besides erosion of river banks at a large number of places, roads, embankments, bridges, culverts and other infrastructure were damaged at many locations in 26 districts, the ASDMA officials said, adding that hundred of houses were fully or partially damaged due to the flood.
Around 19.8 lakh domesticated animals and over 13 lakh poultry birds were affected due to floodwater.
Besides Kaziranga national park, located on the edge of the eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots of Golaghat and Nagaon districts, the Manas and R.G. Orang national parks, the Pabitora wildlife and the Tinsukia wildlife sanctuaries were also affected.
The National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force personnel, along with the local administration, are continuously working to rescue affected people and render relief services, including distribution of necessary material to the marooned villagers.
Patna: All major rivers in Bihar are in spate and are flowing above the danger mark, flooding 30 blocks across eight districts in the state.
The Bihar water resources department said on Saturday that the Bagmati river is flowing above the danger mark at Katounjha in Sitamarhi, Beniabad in Muzaffarpur and Hayaghat in Darbhanga. The Kamla Balan river is flowing above the danger mark in Jhanjharpur while the Mahananda has crossed the danger mark at Dhengraghat in Purnia. However, the water of the Kosi river has receded, coming down from 1.49 lakh cusecs at 6 a.m. on Saturday near Veerpur barrage to 1.47 lakh cusecs at 8 a.m.
The Gandak river was at 1.52 lakh cusecs at 8 a.m. near the Balmikinagar barrage.
Water resources secretary Sanjeev Hans said most of the rivers had crossed the danger mark but the water level is likely to fall. The water resources department and the district administration are on high alert, he added. Officials have reached the locations where flooding has occurred.
He said, "The small dam constructed under MNREGA at the Kamala river has been partially damaged near Bhojpatti village on the left bank and near Popapur village on the right bank."
Disaster management additional secretary Ramchandra said his department is on high alert following the rising water level in various rivers of Bihar.
With the increase in the water level of the rivers, 147 panchayats in 30 blocks across eight districts of Sitamarhi, Shivhar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj and east Champaran have been partially affected and relief camps have been set up.
"Two relief camps have been set up in Supaul and Gopalganj, housing 1,063 people. Eight community kitchens have been set up in Gopalganj, two in Supaul and 11 in Darbhanga. The 21 community kitchens feed nearly 11,000 people everyday," Ramchandra said.
