5 more die in Assam floods, toll touches 20

GUWAHATI: The death toll in Assam floods increased to 20 on Tuesday after five more bodies were found in Barpeta, Dhubri, Morigaon and Nagaon districts. All of them had drowned.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 52,59,142 lakh people in 30 districts have been hit in the second wave of floods that hit the state early this month.Till Monday, nearly 43 lakh people were affected. Barpeta district in lower Assam, where 12,15,672 people are in the grip of the deluge, continues to be the worst hit. Till Tuesday, croplands spanning over 1,63,969.02 hectares were under inundated.
The Brahmaputra and its tributaries are flowing above the danger mark at many places across the state. In Guwahati, the Brahmaputra is flowing at 51.23 meters, only 0.23 meters below the highest flood level of 51.46 meters recorded on July 21, 2004. Several places in the city have been inundated.
The ASDMA said 405 relief distribution centres have been opened in the affected districts and over 1.47 lakh flood-displaced people have taken shelter in 290 relief camps.
On Tuesday, Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat discussed the prevailing flood situation in the state with chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. He also did an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas and interacted with inmates of some relief camps. Shekhawat said the Centre and state government are committed to finding a solution to the flood problem in the state.
The Centre has released Rs 251.55 crore as the first installment for the State Disaster Response Fund. Sonowal said this will help the state government in conducting relief and rescue operations.
Army's General Officer Commanding in chief, Eastern Command, Lt Gen MM Naravane, took stock of the situation and assured a quick response by the Army on being requisitioned for flood relief work. "The Army has asked the flood relief columns to be prepared for deployment on short notice. Altogether 95 flood relief columns, along with additional 31 columns as reserve, have been kept on standby," said defence PRO Lt Col P Khongsai.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said 4,500 people have been rescued from the flood-hit areas of Baksa, Morigaon, Golaghat and Kamrup (Rural) districts from July 11 till Tuesday.
On the other hand, train services along the Lumding-Silchar section in the Barak Valley have been suspended till July 19 because of the ongoing restoration work on tracks damaged in landslides on July 12. Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) CPRO PJ Sharma said the Railways will provide additional coaches in trains connecting upper Assam with Guwahati in view of road communication disruption in upper Assam due to floods.