Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Flood waters are gradually receding in the districts affected by the first wave of floods in the state in this monsoon season. However, the plight of the people affected by floods has not improved as yet, with their houses still filled with mud and slush and the standing crops in their agricultural fields damaged beyond salvage.
The rising waters of the Ranganadi River had inundated large swathes of land in Lakhimpur district. After the floodwaters receded somewhat, people headed back to their homes, only to find that their granaries had been damaged and their prized foodgrains stored in them spoilt, making them unfit for consumption. Some people found their houses filled with mud and silt, making them uninhabitable and forcing them to go back to other places where they can find shelter.
A total area of cropland measuring 19,345 hectares has been damaged by the floodwaters in flood-affected districts across the state.
According to the CWC report this morning, only the Brahmaputra and Kopili rivers in the Brahmaputra Valley are flowing above the danger level. The water levels of the Brahmaputra at Dhubri and Kopili at Dharamtul have been recorded to be above the danger mark. Almost all rivers in the Brahmaputra Valley are showing a decreasing trend, the report also said.
Rivers in Barak Valley flowing above the danger mark are the Barak, the Katakhal and the Kushiyara.
On Thursday night, two persons heading to their farms near Chandrapur, on the outskirts of the city, were washed away by the raging floodwaters. Local people managed to rescue one of them, but the other has remained missing until Friday evening.
An ASDMA report said that 54 revenue circles in 18 districts of the state are still flood-hit. A total of around 4.43 lakh people are still affected by floods in 1296 villages. 156 relief camps are still operating, and more than 40,000 people are taking shelter in these camps. The death toll is 16 to date.
According to the IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre at Guwahati, the highest rainfall in the past 24 hours was recorded at Laharighat in the Morigaon district, with 6 cm of rainfall recorded, followed by 3 cm of rainfall recorded in Dholai and Lakhipur in the Cachar district.
The IMD's forecast for June 7 for Assam and adjoining states reads, "Moderate rain very likely to occur at most places over Mizoram; at many places over Tripura; and Light to Moderate rain very likely to occur at a few places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland & Manipur. Maximum temperature likely to rise by 3 to 4 degrees over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur & Mizoram."
Also Read: Assam floods: Rivers still in spate; death toll 14
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