The Hindu : National : Floods in Assam claim one life

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Sunday, Jun 04, 2006

National

National

Floods in Assam claim one life

Brahmaputra and its tributaries flowing above danger levels for the fourth day

MONSOON TERM: Schoolchildren travel on a country boat to attend school on Saturday as their village, 25 km away from Guwahati, was inundated by fresh floodwaters. — PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

New Delhi: One person died in floods in Assam on Saturday as water inundated several villages in the State. Pre-monsoon showers lowered the temperatures in various parts of the country, particularly the northern region.

The Brahmaputra and its tributaries, including the Jia Bharali, the Kopili and the Puthimari, were still flowing above danger levels for the fourth day following heavy rains in their catchment areas.

The first casualty was reported in Tinsukia district. Flood waters devastated crops and damaged road bridges, electrical poles and disrupted road and rail traffic in several areas of Assam.

The affected districts included Nowgong, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Hailakandi, Marigaon and Kamrup, official sources said.

Water Resource Department of the Government said the Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger mark by little less than a metre both at Dibrugarh and Neamatighat, while its tributaries Jia-Bharali was flowing above danger mark at North Trunk road crossing, Kopili at Kampur, Puthimari at National Highway crossing and Katakhal at Matizuri and Kushiyara at Karimgankj respectively.

Two road bridges on the Tangla-Mahaliyapar PWD Road had been washed away, while several hundred acres of paddy fields had been submerged under the Kamrup area of Nowgong district by waters of the Kopili. The district bore the brunt of the first wave of floods. Rail services in the Rangiya-Rangapara section of the N F Railway continued to be suspended for the third day as a portion of the track had been washed away. Repair work was going on a warfooting and railway services were likely to resume in a day or two, sources said. — UNI

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