GUWAHATI, August 2: Flood situation in Assam slightly improved today even as nearly 10 lakh people across 19 districts in the state have been affected by the calamity.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), almost 10 lakh people are still affected across 804 villages in 19 districts.
Till yesterday, over 11 lakh people were affected by the floods across 1,659 villages in 21 districts.
The death toll in the current wave of floods has touched 34 across the state.
As of now, the affected districts are Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Kokrajhar, Dibrugarh, Biswanath, Nagaon, South Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong and Chirang.Among them, Dhubri is the worst affected with nearly five lakh people still suffering, followed by Barpeta with almost two lakh and Morigaon with over one lakh people currently hit by the floods.
The authorities are running 142 relief camps and distribution centres, where over 36,000 people are taking shelter across 14 districts.
Nearly 45,000 hectares of crop area are still under flood water across the state, besides washing away number of roads, embankments, bridges and other infrastructure.
Currently, Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Nematighat in Jorhat and Dhubri town, while its tributary Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat is flowing above the normal level.
Meanwhile, Kaziranga National Park Divisional Forest Officer Suvasish Das said 310 animals, including 221 hog deer and 21 one-horned rhinos, lost their lives due to the devastating floods in the Park.
NGO to help children in flood-hit Assam
Emergency responses will be extended to the children in three flood-hit districts of Assam by an NGO.
‘Save the Children’ would deliver critical assistance focusing on children and their families in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Majuli districts in Assam, the NGO’s Chief Executive Officer Thomas Chandy said.
In the first phase, the NGO would provide tarpaulins, hygiene kits, bed sheets, floor mats, water and food baskets, along with organisation of health camps and sanitation support to the vulnerable households.
The needs of the children would have to be prioritised as about 40 per cent of the population comprised children who have specific needs during any humanitarian crisis, Chandy said. The organisation appreciated the call by the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) for a child-centric approach for all flood-affected states, he said. “Medical and health along with nutrition and education needs require an immediate response, protection against abuse and trafficking and psycho-social support are important needs that are to be factored in every plan to ensure the well-being of children,” he said. Children cannot wait and therefore an all-out response by government and civil society was required with corporates and individuals doing their bit by supporting those organisations which have a proven track-record in dealing with such emergencies, Chandy added.
