Flood situation in Assam is likely to worsen further with weather forecast suggesting heavy rains for the next 48-hours as number of affected people almost doubled on Sunday.
"The report of the meteorology department has said heavy rains will continue in the next 48 hours. This means water level in the Brahmaputra and other rivers may further increase and there is possibility of flood becoming more serious in western Assam districts like Dhubri," the state water resource minister Keshav Mahanta said here on Sunday.
The daily flood bulletin issued by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said the number of people affected by floods so far has reached 26, 45, 533 in 3,181 villages in 28 of 33 districts while death toll due to floods and landslides rose to 11 on Sunday.
"A total of 327 flood shelter camps have been opened where 16, 596 people, who were rendered homeless by floods have taken shelter so far. Besides, relief materials are also being provided by boats to those stuck in floods or those unwilling to come to the shelter camps," Mahanta said.
The Brahmaputra is flowing above danger level in five places while some of its tributaries also crossed the danger mark in at least 10 other places.
Four flood-related deaths were reported from Jorhat (2), Barpeta and Dhubri districts in the past 24-hours. A total 166 houses have been completely damaged so far while embankments has been breached at several places, roads, bridges and culverts washed away due to the floods across the state. "We will be able to ascertain the exact volume of damage once flood water recedes," Mahanta said.
Army was called in on Saturday to rescue the marooned people in Baksa district, bordering Bhutan. Water flowing down the hills of the neighbouring country aggravate floods in the western Assam districts like Baksa.
(Published 14 July 2019, 15:37 IST)
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