One dead in Biswanath as deluge returns, 3 districts hit

GUWAHATI: One person died and over 19,000 people were affected as fresh floods returned in three Assam districts, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said on Tuesday.
A man drowned in Jia Bharali river in Biswanath district on Monday, taking the death toll due to the deluge this year to 116.
The ASDMA in its daily flood report said 19,649 people from 68 villages in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, and Chirang districts wer affected as on Tuesday.
MS Manivannan, chief executive officer, told TOI, about 34,000 people of four districts were affected as on Monday due to incessant rainfall in the upper stream but the number reduced to below 20,000 on Tuesday. He said no relief camp has been set up so far.
Over 56.9 lakh people were affected in 30 districts of the state due to floods, according to ASDMA flood report, adding that 113 people have lost their lives due to the floods till August first week this year.
A six-member central team had visited Assam last month to assess the damage caused by the floods, which also killed domestic and wild animals in various sanctuaries and national parks, including the world-famous Kaziranga National Park, where 18 rhinos and 135 wild animals died due to the deluge. The Assam government had sent an interim flood damage report to the Centre, demanding about Rs 2,300 crore as compensation for the tragedy.