Lakhs affected by floods in NE

Guwahati, July 29 (IANS): Over 17 lakh people have been affected by floods in 21 districts, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). Over one lakh people have been forced to abandon their houses and take refuge in relief camps.   Flood waters have inundated 3,374 Assam villages as well as crops standing on 2,13,251 hectares of land, an ASDMA official said. Over 20 people died in the floods across the state. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal made an aerial visit to his constituency, river island Majuli, on Thursday to supervise relief and rescue operations.   He took serious note of the unauthorised absence and negligence of officials, which led to breach of the Brahmaputra dyke and the resultant misery to the people and loss of property. On his directive, the Water Resources Department suspended four officials on the charge of gross negligence of duty during the current floods in Majuli.   Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday said the Railways will provide free wagons to the state government to transport essential commodities to the flood-affected districts of the state.   Talking to Sonowal on phone, Prabhu said the state government could make use of the abandoned railway tracks as 'platforms' for sheltering those displaced by the deluge. With at least 20 persons dead, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit the state on Saturday for a day to take stock of the situation.   The minister is expected to make an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of Nagaon, Morigaon and Kaziranga in Assam.   He will also visit Bhagatgaon camp set up for the flood-affected residents in Morigaon district and meet Sonowal and state government officials before returning to Delhi in the evening.    

Floodwater recedes in M'laya

  Tura: Thousands of people are living in makeshift shelters in the flood-hit areas of western Meghalaya after over 23,559 households were submerged in floodwater, officials said on Friday. No loss of life has been reported so far.   "The floodwaters have shown signs of receding and we are hopeful that the overall situation will improve in the days to come," West Garo Hills District Magistrate Pravin Bakshi told IANS.   A total number of 1,21,535 people in 258 villages were affected after the swollen Brahmaputra and Jingiram rivers submerged many villages under Phulbari, Rajabala, Singimari, Paham, Bhaitbari and Hallidayganj areas.   The Jingiram, one of the major rivers in Garo Hills, caused havoc after a major embankment was breached. The backflow of water in the Brahmaputra in Assam aggravated the floods. "There have been no reports of fresh flooding though thousands are taking shelter in 26 makeshift camps and on raised platforms as their villages are under knee-deep water," Bakshi said and informed that the government has placed over 100 boats at different locations for relief and rescue operations.
  Health authorities in the Garo Hills on Monday said they feared an epidemic if precautions are not taken after floodwaters recede and announced precautionary measures to check the outbreak of diseases.   Public Health Engineering (PHE) officials have distributed chlorine tablets and bleaching powder among the people to prevent any outbreak of water-borne diseases.