Number of flood-hit nears 10 lakh

By Our Staff Reporter

DIBRUGARH/GUWAHATI, Sept 2: There was no let-up in the State's flood situation, with the number of affected people swelling from 8.75 lakh to 9.98 lakh overnight.

The government also increased the number of relief camps from 214 to 308 today. As on date, there are 1.75 lakh inmates in the camps.

Dibrugarh, the worst hit, has the bulk of the relief camps. Around 92,000 displaced people are taking shelter in 144 camps opened by the district administration, official sources said. Some 227 villages in the district are under waters, besides twenty wards within the municipal area, affecting a population of 1.34 lakh.

Defence and disaster magement personnel rescued over 500 marooned people today in the Upper Assam district where the Brahmaputra continues to flow above the danger level.

The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level throughout the State, besides the Buridihing (Dibrugarh), Desang (Sivasagar), Dhansiri (Golaghat), Jia Bharali (Sonitpur), Puthimari (Kamrup), Beki (Barpeta) and Kushiyara (Karimganj). The flood situation has also worsened at Demow where the water levels of the Brahmaputra, Dehing and Desang rivers continue to rise.

Reports of fresh areas being inundated are pouring in from Barpeta where over 1 lakh people have been affected.