Assam flood situation worsens; toll rises to 4, over 37,000 people affected

Guwahati, Jul 14 (PTI) The flood situation in Assam worsened on Tuesday with the death toll rising to four and the number of affected people increasing nearly fourfold to over 37,000, according to an official bulletin. The latest fatality was reported from the Chariduar revenue circle in Sonitpur district, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said. The person was reported missing on Monday night, and his body was recovered on Tuesday. Earlier, one person died in Charaideo and two others in Dhemaji district. According to the bulletin, floodwaters have inundated six districts -- Sonitpur, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat and Sivasagar, affecting 12 revenue circles and 99 villages. A total of 37,032 people have been affected by the deluge, with Lakhimpur emerging as the worst-hit district where 35,696 people have been impacted. On Monday, more than 9,600 people across six districts were affected by the floods. The affected people are being provided relief materials through 20 distribution centres, the ASDMA said. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued 16 people from Sonitpur district during the past 24 hours. Floodwaters have submerged 1,103.94 hectares of cropland, while two animals were washed away and another 16,139 animals, including poultry, have been affected, the bulletin said. Damage to roads and other infrastructure has also been reported from some of the affected districts, it added. PTI SSG SSG SOM