MANGALDAI, Sept 2 - The flood situation in Darrang district has remained unchanged for the third day today with no fresh showers of rain till filing of this report. The situation is expected to improve soon. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the embankment of Saktola river was breached again at Kanshalabori near Janaramchowka under Mangaldai Police station. The embankment was earler breached on August 31 and a nearly 70- feet stretch was washed away by the water of Saktola river.
Senior officials of the Water Resource department from Guwahati and Mangaldai on Tuesday visited the breached portion of the embankment and the department with the help and cooperation from the local villagers has undertaken some protection works. Basanta Das, Minister for Water Resource, Fisheries etc., accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar visited the flood-affected areas of the district and asked the officials to carry out protection works on a war footing. The minister while talking to this correspondent said , �I have received weather forecast reports on the possibility of more rains in the next few days, so I have advised the district administration to provide relief materials, cattle feed, drinking water, tarpaulin, medical facilities to the flood-affected villagers.�
Similarly, interacting with media during his visit to the flood- affected villages, Darrang Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar informed that all the affected villagers would be offered gratuitous relief (GR) initially for three days, while the Public Health Engineering department and the Health departments have been asked to make adequate arrangements for drinking water and medical service in the affected areas.
According to reports received from the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), nearly 25,000 villagers of 73 villages mostly under Mangaldai and Patharighat Revenue circle areas have been affected by the flood wave caused by the rising waters of Mangaldai, Saktola, Noa Noi and Nonoi rivers. The process of distribution of relief materials, including 283 quintals of rice, 52.5 quintals of dal, 16 quintals of salt, 51.5 quintals of chira and 1,000 quintals of cattle feed have already begun since this morning, DDMA sources informed. However, till filing of this report, no relief camps are required to be set up in the district, as the affected villagers have been taking shelter in comparatively safer areas.
