Assam flood situation grim, toll rises to 40

Assam's flood situation remained grim with the death toll rising to 40 and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi making an aerial survey of the worst affected Goalpara and Kamrup (Rural) district today.

Gogoi made an aerial survey of the two districts for about 45 minutes but could not land to visit relief camps in Goalpara district because of inclement weather there, CMO officials said.

Two bodies were found in Goalpara and Kamrup (Rural) districts each taking the toll to 40 in the deluge so far.

Intermittent rainfall was reported from parts of Kamrup (Rural) district where the water level had been subsiding in Boko, Chaygaon and Palashbari though in Goroimari, Chamaria, Sontoli, Kalatoli and Nagarberra, vast tracts of land continued to be under water.

Traffic was moving along NH-37 very slowly with the vehicles carrying essential commodities only were being allowed to ply, a district administration official said.

Supply of electricity to the severely affected areas of the district was restored today after five days, he said.

However, in Goalpara, the National Highway was still under water and there was no movement of traffic while a wooden bridge Aagia-Darek Road has been washed away.

Of the affected districts, Goalpara recorded the maximum deaths (18), followed by Kamrup Rural (14), Kamrup Metro (six), Dhubri and Tinsukia (both one).

Five persons were killed in Guwahati, which falls under Kamrup Metro district, during the downpour for three days since Saturday. Situation was gradually improving with the water ebbing out.

The current wave of flood, triggered by heavy rains in neighbouring Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh has affected a population of nearly 10 lakh in eleven districts of the state, a release by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority said.

The highest population of 3,40,000 of 715 villages have been affected in Kamrup (Rural) while the figure is 2,85,000 in Goalpara.
More than 1.11 lakh hectares of cropland have been inundated by the flood waters and heavy loss of cattle and poultry has been reported with the value of the losses being assessed, the release added.

The current wave has also resulted in huge infrastructural losses with wooden and concrete bridges being washed away, embankments breached, roads, culverts and irrigation canals damaged but the exact value of losses is yet to be ascertained.

The affected districts include Goalpara, Kamrup(R), Dhemaji, Udalguri, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Morigaon, Darrang, Nagaon, Kamrup (Metro) and Dhubri.

The Northeast Frontier Railway, meanwhile, cancelled 12 trains today while diverting and partially cancelling some other trains, an NF Railway spokesman said.

The cancelled trains include both UP and DN Fakiragram-Kamakhya-Fakiragram Passenger, Alipurduar- Guwahati-Alipurduar Passenger, Guwahati-Mariani-Guwahati Intercity Express, Guwahati-New Bongaigaon-Guwahati Passenger, and Guwahati-New Bongaigaon-Guwahati Passenger.

The other trains cancelled today include Guwahati-New Bongaigaon-Guwahati Passenger, Alipurduar Jn.-Dhubri Special, Alipurduar-Lumding-Alipurduar Intercity Express, Alipurduar- Kamakhya-Alipurduar Intercity Express and Dhubri-Silghat Rajya Rani Express.

Apart from these, the Silghat-Dhubri Rajya Rani Express will remain cancelled tomorrow and Dhubri-Alipurduar Special on September 28.

The Dekargaon-New Jalpaiguri Passenger will remain partially cancelled between Dekargaon and New Bongaigaon today and will run between New Bongaigaon-New Jalpaiguri.

Some trains will be diverted via Kamkhya - Rangiya - New Bongaigaon route instead of Kamakhya - Goalpara Town - New Bongaigon route, the spokesman added.

Rail tracks were breached at 16 places in the New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Kamakhya section of Rangiya Division due to massive floods during the last few days.