Over 89,000 people affected by floods in Meghalaya

More than 89,000 people have been affected by floods in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district, officials said on Tuesday.

Many areas of the district have been flooded and the situation is bad in Tikrikilla, Demdema and Selsella blocks, they said.

The Jinjiram river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, is overflowing, the officials said.

"The situation is bad and three blocks -- Tikrikilla, Demdema and Selsella -- have been affected. The situation is being monitored," West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh said.

He said at least 16,400 households with a population of over 89,000 have been affected by the deluge.

The district administration has announced a seven-day Gratuitous Relief (GR) and affected people in three community and rural development blocks have been moved to safer places, the officials said.

Most people in low-lying areas have already moved to higher ground on the AMPT (Agia, Medhipara, Phulbari, Tura) road in order to avoid a loss to lives and to save their livestock from drowning, a senior official from Selsella block office said.

According to latest reports, water levels have risen in Tikrikilla, Demdema and Selsella blocks.

Charbatapara, Moulakandi and Patharkata villages under Demdema Block, Rajpur, many parts of Old and New Bhaitbari, Rajabala, Chokchokia and Selsella have been affected, according to the district administration.

Many sections of the AMPT road, many PWD roads across the three blocks and the Selsella-Tura road are submerged, a PWD official said.