Assam floods: Death toll rises to 126 as five more die

The flood situation in Assam continued to remain critical on Sunday, with five new deaths taking the death toll to 126.

Barpeta, Cachar, Darrang, Karimganj, and Morigaon districts recorded one death each as over 22 lakh people still remain affected; although the water level has started receding from some areas.

Barpeta is the worst affected district, with nearly seven lakh people in distress, followed by Nagaon (5.13 lakh people) and Cachar (over 2.77 lakh people).

The districts affected by flood are Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Cachar, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Hojai, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong West, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur, South Salmara, Tamulpur and Udalguri.

Floodwaters have affected crops on 74,706 hectares across the state. What used to be green paddy fields of hope have now turned into a sea of despair.

As many as 2,17,413 people are languishing in 564 relief camps all over the state. Lost somewhere under the swelling waters, people have been forced to stay in these makeshift camps.

The Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other state agencies are still continuing their rescue and relief operations though the flood waters are receding and the overall situation has shown signs of improvement in all the affected districts of the state.

However, as a matter of concern, the river Kopili continues to flow above the danger level mark in the Nagaon district.

A total of 2,77,158 people remained to be affected in the Cachar district, with at least 96,972 people in Silchar still suffering. Over 1.09 lakh people are still housed in 230 relief camps in the district, including 25,223 in Silchar.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday visited Silchar town to monitor the flood situation. During his visit, which is the second within two days, CM Sarma inspected inundated areas including Malini Beel, Public School Road, Radhamadhab Road, Kanakpur, Rangirkhari, Sonai Road, National Highway, and Tarapur, and interacted with the people who have been left devastated by the calamity.

The chief minister later chaired a meeting with senior officials to review the flood situation and gave instructions for providing proper medical facilities to the people in distress. He also informed that 15-20 doctors would be sent to Silchar from Guwahati soon. CM Sarma instructed that a health camp be conducted in each and every municipal ward of the town, besides directing the health department to provide medicines to people's houses at least for the next seven days.