Flood situation remains grim despite let-up in rain | Guwahati News - Times of India

Source: The Times of India

Guwahati: One more person died in Assam on Friday, taking the death toll in the floods to 27 despite a let-up in rain over the preceding 24 hours.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), over 3.9 lakh people, which include 1.38 lakh women and 85,000 children, have been affected by the calamity so far. Among them, 53 are pregnant and lactating mothers and 15 differently-abled persons.

The govt has set up 245 relief camps and relief distribution centres throughout the afflicted regions where more than 1.8 lakh people are taking shelter.

Karimganj has emerged as the worst-hit district, with over 2.4 lakh individuals affected, of which more than 1.30 lakh have been forced to seek refuge in relief camps and relief distribution centres.

The fresh death was reported from Khairabari in Udalguri, which is among the 19 affected districts -- Kamrup, Tamulpur, Hailakandi, Hojai, Dhubri, Barpeta, Biswanath, Nalbari, Bongaigaon, Baksa, Karimganj, South Salmara, Goalpara, Darrang, Bajali, Nagaon, Cachar and Kamrup (Metro).

The relief materials distributed among the affected population include rice, dal, salt, vegetables, cattle feed, baby food as well as tarpaulin, match boxes, candles, mosquito coil, sanitary napkins among other items.

The IMD stated a cyclonic circulation is currently situated over northeast Assam and its surrounding areas. As a result of this weather system, it has predicted that several states in the northeastern region will get widespread rainfall ranging from light to moderate intensity over the course of the next five days. The affected states are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and the sub-Himalayan parts of West Bengal.

The rainfall is expected to be accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds gusting between 30kmph to 40 kmph.