The flood situation in Assam improved on Sunday as the number of people reeling under the deluge in eight districts decreased to over two lakh, an official bulletin said.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 2,07,500 people are hit by the flood in Bajali, Barpeta, Cachar, Darrang, Goalpara, Kamrup, Karimganj and Nalbari districts.
Karimganj is the worst hit with over 1.1 lakh people suffering, followed by Cachar with almost 52,500 and Darrang with nearly 30,000 citizens reeling under floodwater, it added.
Till Saturday, over 2.6 lakh people were suffering from the deluge in 11 districts of the state.
The total number of people losing their lives in this year’s flood, landslide and storm stands at 39.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at least 50 large ponds should be created in the northeast region to divert water of the Brahmaputra river to help tackle floods and develop agriculture, irrigation and tourism.
Chairing a review meeting in Delhi on preparedness for flood management during the monsoon, Shah also emphasised on optimum use of satellite imagery provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for flood and water management.
Reacting to the suggestions, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the high-level review meeting sets the tone for further flood management and ensures that the administration moves forward with a ‘Zero Casualty Approach’.
“Creating large ponds to divert floodwater from Brahmaputra, as discussed in the meet, will aid in multiple ways- reduce impact of floods, boost tourism and recharge water levels in the area,” Sarma said in a post on X.
Regarding the ongoing flood situation in the state, he said the government is committed to tackling the impact of the deluge effectively and the entire administration is on alert.
The administration has been operating 211 relief camps and relief distribution centres in 10 districts, where 79,325 people have taken shelter at present, according to the official bulletin.
The authorities have distributed 1,110.11 quintals of rice, 206.43 quintals of dal, 61.95 quintals of salt and 6,194.48 litres of mustard oil among the flood victims of the state during the last 24 hours.
At present, people of 810 villages are reeling under floodwater and 4,274.13 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam, the ASDMA said.
Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by floodwater in Darrang, Kamrup and Bajali.
The Kushiyara river at Karimganj town is flowing above the danger mark, the ASDMA said.
On account of widespread flooding, over 1,70,495 domestic animals and poultry are affected across the state.
