CM conducts aerial survey

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 6: The toll in floods and landslides in Assam has risen to 117 but the overall situation across the State has improved.

In Jorhat district’s Nimatighat, the Brahmaputra is still flowing above the danger level but recorded a falling trend in Dhubri, a government flood bulletin said.

An estimated 22 lakh people have been affected in the worst floods in recent years, causing large-scale devastation in 2,809 villages in 27 of the 28 districts of the State. The current wave of floods has devastated the world famous Kaziranga National Park where more than 540 animals, including 13 rhinos, have perished, the sources added.

The situation in the river island Majuli is still grim. Almost the entire island is submerged and more than 75 families have been rendered homeless due to heavy floods and unabated erosion.

More than 3 lakh people are staying in 405 relief camps set up in 12 districts.

Road services, affected at 2,847 places across the State, are yet to be restored as also rail tracks damaged by landslides in Lumding-Badarpur Railway Division.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit Barpeta and Nalbari districts on Friday. He later landed at Howli in Barpeta and talked to the district officials including the deputy commissioner. The Chief Minister told the district officials to provide adequate relief and medicines to the flood victims.

Gogoi also visited a relief camp set up in Dhanbandha College near Uttar Barpeta and interacted with the people taken shelter there.