Over 13 lakh people have been affected by floods in Assam, across 2015 villages in 24 districts. Dhemaji in Upper Assam and Barpeta in Lower Assam are the worst-hit. In Arunachal, low-lying areas of Pasighat and Namsai have been flooded.
Meanwhile in BIHAR rivers like Kosi, Bagmati, Kamla Balan and Mahananda were flowing above the danger level at many places on Monday, threatening to inundate several parts of northern districts such as Muzaffarpur, Katihar, Purnia, Jhanjharpur in Madhubani and Sitamarhi.
The water level in the Ganga too is gradually increasing, according to officials.
The Central Water Commission tweeted that “the Bagmati continues to flow in a severe situation at Benibad in Muzaffarpur district”.
The State government has deployed 13 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 14 teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in sensitive areas in districts such as Katihar, Purnia, Araria, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, East Champaran, Nalanda, Saran, Bhagalpur, Madhubani, Samastipur, Sitamarhi, Saharsha, Madhepura and Buxar, said an official.
“Home guard personnel too have been deployed to inform villagers how to protect themselves in the time of flood and COVID-19,” said the official.
“Though the situation is under control now, threat looms due to heavy rain in the catchment areas of Nepal and in the State.”
The Water Resources Department has come up with a twitter hashtag where people could highlight any erosion or crack in river embankments.
With two more people died in Assam, taking the death count due to the floods this year to 44. On Friday, eight people had died in landslides in Arunachal Pradesh.
The water levels in Brahmaputra and its tributaries are expected to rise in different parts of the state. In Arunachal Pradesh, major rivers like Dibang and Siang are flowing above the danger level, government sources said.
Several embankments were breached, and roads and bridges were damaged as a result of rising floodwaters, according to reports from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has reviewed the situation and ordered repairs of breached embankments on war footing in Assam. Mr Sonowal has also asked all MLAs and MPs to get involved in flood rescue and relief operations.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is carrying out massive rescue operations in Assam and more than 460 people have been evacuated till now, sources added. Over 21,000 people have been shifted to relief camps till now.
Apart from flood-related deaths, 24 people died in landslides triggered by rainfall in different parts of Assam.
The weather department has predicted heavy rains in the northeast .
70 per cent of Kaziranga National Park, 50 per cent each of Orang National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctury has been flooded. Animals are fleeing to higher grounds.
