Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday with the number of inundated districts increasing to 26 and major rivers flowing above the danger mark in multiple locations even though the population reeling under the deluge decreased below 14 lakh, an official bulletin said.
Altogether 13,99,949 people were still suffering from the flood, as compared to 14,38,900 in 25 districts on Wednesday, it said.
Cachar, Barpeta, Kamrup, Nagaon, Dhubri, Darrang, Biswanath, Golaghat, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Sivsagar, Dibrugarh, Morigaon, Tinsukia and Nalbari were among the 26 inundated districts, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin said.
Dhemaji, South Salmara, Lakhimpur, Karimganj, Charaideo, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Jorhat, Kamrup Metropolitan, Majuli and Chirang districts were also reeling under floodwater.
The affected people were spread over 83 revenue circles and 2,545 villages.
Dhubri remained the worst-hit district with 2,41,186 people suffering, followed by Cachar with 1,60,889 and Darrang with 1,08,125.
Altogether 100 people, all from Dhubri district, were evacuated to safer locations on boats by the State Disaster Response Force and local administration, the bulletin said.
Thirty-three boats have been pressed into rescue and relief operations across the state.
The toll in this year’s flood, storm and lightning was 99, and 83 of them lost their lives due to the deluge.
The ASDMA revised the flood toll figure from 84, citing the wrong classification of one fatality in its previous day’s tally.
The Brahmaputra river continued to flow above the danger level at Nematighat, Tezpur and Dhubri, while the Burhidihing was still flowing over the red mark in Khowang, Disang in Nanglamuraghat and Kushiyara in Karimganj.
Altogether 39,133.57 hectares of cropland have been inundated.
At least 41,596 displaced people were taking shelter in 189 relief camps, while another 110 relief distribution centres catering to 72,847 were also functional.
The ASDMA bulletin said 221 big and small animals and poultry were washed away in the last 24 hours, while another 9,86,253 animals were affected.
Damage to various infrastructure, including houses, bridges, roads and embankments, has been reported from various districts.