Assam flood situation grim; rail track washed away

The Assam government on Wednesday sounded an alert in the state in view of the grim flood situation after Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi made an aerial survey of worst affected districts. He also made a survey of flood scene inside Kaziranga National Park.

The swollen Drupromg on Tuesday night submerged village Duprong and washed away the Rangiya-Jonai-Mukongchelek metre gauge rail tracks near Tatibahar station affecting movement of trains to the neighbouring state, official sources said.

The Arunchal Express and other goods trains pass through the railway track, they said. An estimated 2.5 lakh people were affected by the first wave of floods in the state as the Brahmaputra and its principal tributary Subansiri rose above the danger level, fed with incessant rain waters from the Himalayan foothills in Arunachal.

In worst-affected Lakhimpur district, both the rivers were in spate with the Subansiri flowing one metre above the danger level at Silikhagur and Ghonsoraighat, the sources said.

The Gohin river rose menacingly and threatened to breach a dyke and affect the construction work of state's second veterinary college in Lakhimpur district.

Meanwhile, most parts of the two rhino habitats of Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat district and Pobitora Wild Life Sanctuary in Morigaon district near Guwahati were submerged, wildlife department sources said. The animals in both the parks were safe taking shelter in the highlands and round-the-clock patrolling continued against poachers.

In neighbouring Dhemaji district, the Brahmaputra rose  above the danger level just below Bogibeel bridge at Karengsapori.

With the let up in the rains, the water level of local streams were, however, showing a falling trend today. The severed road link between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh through NH-52 in Dhemaji district has been restored with water receeding at Samarajan.

A report from Sonitpur district said the flood situation there remained unchanged as the Brahmaputra and its tributaries were flowing above the danger level affecting 30,000 families and damaging 10,000 hectares of crop land.

A PWD embankment near district headquarters Tezpur was breached by Jiabhoralim, while the Satrong washed away another embankment with a road culvert in Gohpur sub-division.

River Solengi has partially submerged Purubari and Bholaguri tea estates inundating labour quarters and affecting services of the garden hospitals, the sources said.

Overtopping of NH-52 at Chariduar has disrupted movement of traffic between Biswanath Chariali in the district and Lakhimpur district.

At least 1500 dwelling houses got submerged rendering nearly 30,000 people homeless in Sonitpur so far, the sources said.

A 35-member rescue team with rubber and fibre boats were pressed into service in the flood-affected parts.

The state government has already sounded an alert across the state directing the district administration and the National Disaster Management teams to provide rescue, medical and relief materials to the flood affected.

With inputs from PTI