GUWAHATI, July 22 - Following incessant rains in several parts of Assam, the flood situation worsened further on Wednesday, affecting more than 26 lakh people even as two more fatalities took the death toll in the State to 89. The deaths were reported from Barpeta and Morigaon districts. Two flood-related missing cases have also been reported in the past 24 hours � one each from Kokrajhar and Golaghat districts.
The flood situation is likely to turn critical as the Regional Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall in next 48 hours at isolated places of Assam.
According to the ASDMA, floods have affected 26,31,343 people and submerged 1,15,515 hectares of cropland in 2,525 villages under 75 revenue circles in 26 districts � Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Morigaon, Nagaon, Hojai, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, West Karbi Anglong and Cachar.
Till Wednesday morning, the Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Goalpara and Dhubri, Dhansiri in Golaghat, Jia Bharali in Sonitpur, Kopili in Nagaon, Beki in Barpeta, Kushiyara in Karimganj and Sankosh in Dhubri districts were flowing above the danger level.
In the past 24 hours, floods damaged several embankments in Lakhimpur, Chirang, Nagaon, Jorhat and Udalguri districts, besides a number of roads in Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Nagaon, Jorhat, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Karimganj and West Karbi Anglong. Incidents of flood-triggered erosion have also been reported from Biswanath, Majuli, Baksa, Udalguri and Kokrajhar districts.
Floods have also ravaged Kaziranga National Park affecting 126 forest camps, while Orang National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary are also badly hit with a number of forest camps being inundated. In Kaziranga, floods have claimed lives of 120 animals so far.
COVID-19 norms: Meanwhile, ASDMA State project coordinator Pankaj Chakravarty said that his department is bound to implement all norms to contain COVID-19 across flood relief camps of Assam.
A total of 45,281 people are taking shelter in 391 relief camps across the State till Wednesday evening.
�There may be some lacunae in implementing the norms in some places. But we are trying to implement it even by using force when necessary. This time we have also increased the number of relief camps to lessen the number of inmates per camp,� he said.
He said regular visit of medical teams to every relief camp is under way, but it is not possible to carry out COVID-19 tests for every inmate in flood relief camps. �Fortunately, till today no COVID-19 positive case has been detected in any flood relief camp of Assam,� he added.
