Staff Reporter
Guwahati: It now appears that not only the Simen River but also the Dikhari River, flowing in from Arunachal Pradesh, has devastated several villages in Jonai during the first wave of floods to hit the North Bank. People affected by the deluge and sheltering in relief camps are now making their way back to their homes, only to find that a large number of thatch-roofed and raised-platform houses (chang ghar) and kutcha houses have been damaged and swamped by tree logs and debris.
Flood waters from the Dikhari River devastated houses in Arun Chapori, Madhupur, Ujjalpur, Kemi, Jelum and other villages, causing loss of property and livestock.
A villager of Arun Chapori said that there are around 69 households living in the area, and most of them have been affected by the sudden deluge. Some are fully damaged while others are partially damaged. He appealed to the state government to take up restoration and rehabilitation works at the earliest, as the people inhabiting the area live from hand to mouth.
Local sources pointed out that the water stream of the Dikhari River has been diverted by the tree logs and debris that came down with the floodwaters. On June 28, the river waters swelled up all of a sudden, leaving no time for the villagers to save their livestock. They claimed that they had never witnessed such a sudden increase in the water level during their lifetime.
Today's flood report by the ASDMA states that the Brahmaputra was still flowing above the danger mark at Neamatighat in the Jorhat district. As of date, 179 villages continue to be affected in four districts - Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Biswanath and Nalbari - of which 173 are in the Dhemaji district alone. Jonai, one of the worst-affected areas, is located in the Dhemaji district.
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