The Hindu : National : Flood situation worsens in Assam, over 10 lakh people affected

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Flood situation worsens in Assam, over 10 lakh people affected

Sushanta Talukdar

Majuli remains worst hit as level of flood water continues to rise

Vast tracts of land, standing crops destroyed
Thousands continue to take shelter in relief camps

Guwahati: Over ten lakh people have been affected by floods in Assam with the situation in Majuli turning critical on Tuesday as the level of flood water continued to rise alarmingly due to incessant rainfall . Floods have so far claimed 15 lives in the State since June 1.

The State continued to receive moderate to heavy rainfall in different parts. National Highway-31, linking northeast to the rest of the country, has remained cut off at two places — Srirampur on the Assam-West Bengal border and at Kendkona under Kamalpur in Kamrup district — disrupting traffic movement, including trucks carrying supplies of essential commodities from outside the State . Majuli remained the worst hit with flood waters of the Brahmaputra submerging almost the entire river island.

When contacted , the Extra Assistant Commissioner, Majuli, Arindam Barua told The Hindu that as on Tuesday 1.65 lakh people of the river-island were affected. Majuli has a total population of about 1.69 lakh. He said that prison inmates of the island were shifted to the Jorhat jail due to the rise in water level in the jail premises. Standing crop on over 9000 hectares has been destroyed .

The administration has so far installed 152 hand tube wells and distributed chlorine tablets among the affected people .

Country boats have become the only mode of transport for the islanders.

Floods have so far affected 10,27,800 people in 1,106 villages in 12 districts and destroyed cropped area of 1,20,000 hectares and partially damaged 51,272 houses in the State.

Altogether 20,350 people continue to take shelter in the 132 relief camps opened by the State government, thousand others have taken shelter in temporary shelters on embankments and roads. In central Assam’s Bhurgaon and Lahorigaht the situation turned critical with the river Brahmaputra submerging vast tracts of land and destroying standing crops and damaging residential houses.

Reshuffle in Ministry

Amidst the worsening flood situation, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi took away the portfolio of Water Resources from Bharat Narah and allotted it to Prithibi Majhi in addition to his other portfolios of Welfare of Tea Tribes, Labour and Employment. Mr. Narah has been allotted the portfolios of Cooperation, Culture, Sports and Parliamentary Affairs.

The reshuffle came following the induction of Congress MLA from Dispur constituency Akon Bora into the Cabinet. Mr. Bora has been given the portfolio of Social Welfare, which was earlier held by Ajanta Neog. Ms. Neog has been allotted the Public Works Department portfolio while the Chief Minister kept for himself the Planning and Development portfolio that was held by Mr. Majhi.

The Chief Minister also allotted the portfolio of Primary, Secondary and Higher Education to Gautom Bora and retained Technical Education for himself.

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