15 revenue villages still under flood in Lakhimpur

Singara washes away cofferdam

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR, July 10: The devastation caused by Singara river continues in Lakhimpur district. On Monday night, the overflown water of the river washed away the cofferdam of the river constructed near Dolohat Tiniali at a time when the Water Resources Department under the Lakhimpur district administration has been exerting its force to plug the breached portion of the Dolohat-Phoolbari connecting road for a period of 13 days. The cofferdam was constructed by the department concerned in order to block the diverting flow of the river which caused breach of the road on June 28. The dam was also planned to shift the river to its original course. But torrential rain and overflown water of the river on Monday night poured cold water over all of these plans and endeavours to block the forceful motion of the river from damaging the PWD Road. Under such circumstances, the flood situation in the affected area has turned grim again.

In the previous wave of the deluge, a total of 15 revenue villages are still under water in Lakhimpur district. Out of them, 10 villages - Balitika, Balijan, Haripur, Konwarpur, No.2 Solmari, Phookandoloni, No. 1 Kalakhowa, Dolohat and Digh Phukuri – have been inundated by River Singara under Nowboicha Revenue Circle (RC) in North Lakhimpur subdivision while NC Mohbal, NC Lejuwa, Maji, Hatigarh and Bilmukh have been affected by flood of Jiadhal and Kumatiya under Subansiri RC in Dhakuakhona subdivision.

A total of 18,416 people, 136 hectares of crop area and 1,373 big animals, 579 small animals and 1,607 poultry have been affected by flood and 1,934 flood affected people are taking shelter in two flood relief camps opened in Nowboicha RC, one at Balitika High Madrassa and another at Phukan Doloni LP School. The Lakhimpur district administration distributed 322.18 quintal of rice, 60.09 quintal of dal, 18.04 quintal of salt and 224 packets of children food along with some allied items among the flood-affected people of the RC on Tuesday.

On the other hand, State Handloom and Textile and Minority Development Affairs Minister Ranjit Dutta visited the flood-affected area under Nowboicha to take stock of the flood situation. The affected people of the area, AASU and All Assam Unemployed Association raised a lot of complaints against the alleged negligence on the part of the Water Resources Department in the district with regard to controlling the river on time, failure of which led the river to massive devastation this year again. Returning from the area, the minister took part in a meeting with the officers of the district administration at the conference hall of the DC office.