Assam floods toll rises to 30

Goalpara (Assam): The toll in Assam in the current flood rose to 30 on Wednesday with 14 bodies recovered from worst-affected Goalpara and Kamrup (Rural) districts even as relief and rescue work continued round-the-clock.

Six bodies were recovered from Bolbola and Krishnai areas of Goalpara taking the total death toll so far to 14 in the district, where Army, NDRF and SDRF are conducting rescue operation, a senior district administration official said.    

Another eight bodies were recovered from neighbouring Kamrup (Rural) district, where the toll rose to 10. Four others are still missing, Deputy Commissioner J Balaji said.    

Goalpara district administration sources said 94 relief camps have been set up by the district administration and more than 90,000 people have taken shelter in them.    

Assam Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka and Forest Minister Rakibul Hussain have been deputed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to review the prevailing situation in the district and coordinate the relief and rescue operations, an official spokesman said.   

The ministers have announced the state government would provide ex-gratia payment of Rs 3.5 lakh to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the current floods.    

In Kamrup(Rural) rescue operations were on and the situation was improving gradually with no rains since yesterday. Balaji said road communication between Nagarberra and Hekra was affected as a concrete bridge was washed away on Tuesday.   

Traffic along NH 37 has resumed but they were moving very slowly as several parts of it are still submerged, he added.   

The situation in Guwahati, which falls in Kamrup (Metro) district, was improving slowly though the severely affected areas of Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Tarun Nagar, Rajgarh besides Zoo Road in the heart of the city are still under water, a spokesman of the district administration said.