Dhemaji: As many as nine lakh people are affected in 15 districts in Assam as incessant rains over the last two days have meant that Brahmaputra and its tributaries are flowing above the danger mark.
Five teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in various districts to assist state administration in relief and evacuation work.
Till now, seven persons have died in the floods – one each in Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Nalbari, Golaghat and Barpeta and two in Morigaon districts, officials said. They added that floodwaters have affected crops on 90,867 hectares across the state.
The flood situation in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts worsened as Subanriri river is in spate due to heavy downpour in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.
The Jiadhal river has also breached an embankment in Dhemaji district.
District administrations concerned have set up 118 relief camps, providing shelter to 95,922 persons in the 15 flood-affected districts –Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Kamrup, Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Karbi Anglong besides Dhemaji and Lakhimpur.
The flood situation has slightly improved in Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Karbi Anglong districts, officials said.
State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) officials said the Brahmaputra and its tributaries are flowing above the danger level at Nematighat, Dhubri and Dibrugarh and the Jai Bharali river has crossed the danger mark at Sonitpur and Kopili while Beki river has breached the red line at Nagaon and in Barpeta district.
Flood waters have also entered Kaziranga and Dibru Choikhowa national parks. However, there is no report of any major damage, the officials said.
The increasing water levels in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries have also forced the Inland Water Transport (IWT) department to temporarily suspend river transportation in many places, including Guwahati, Jorhat and Dhubri.
Communication with river island Majuli was snapped on Sunday following suspension of ferry services from Jorhat.