GOLAKGANJ, July 18 � In a press meet arranged by the Dhubri district administration on Sunday, Kumud Kalita, the Deputy Commissioner of Dhubri district said that the south-western parts of the district were lashed by a very severe storm on the night of June 26, which uprooted trees and electricity poles, thus plunging the whole of Dhubri town and major parts of the subdivision into darkness.
On that day, the rainfall recorded at Dhubri was 135.6 mm. Meanwhile, as a result of incessant rainfall in catchment areas of Bhutan, the rivers Gangadhar, Tipkai, Gaurang, Gadadhar and Champamoti of Dhubri district started swelling and simultaneously the water level of the Brahmaputra started rising. The water level of the Brahmaputra crossed the danger level on June 27. The DC also told mediapersons that the rising water of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries caused heavy flood in Bilasipara subdivision, Hatsingimari subdivision and parts of Dhubri subdivision. Flood waters inundated a vast area of Dhubri district, almost 1005 sq km, which is nearly 50% of the total geographical area of Dhubri district and affected a total population of 11,36,436. The recent floods caused heavy damage to the agriculture sector, which works out to roughly 84,835 hectares of crop area badly affected. A total of 2,79,685 livestock population have been affected, out of which 2,09,350 are large animals and 70,335 are small. The flood also claimed a toll of 42 livestock. Road communication too has been badly affected by the flood waters, damaging 93 roads and three RCC bridges, and 21 embankments. A total of 24 PHE water supply schemes have been affected. The DC informed that the loss of cattle, crop, houses, huts, institutions, roads and bridges and of other infrastructure has been provisionally assessed at a little over Rs 120 crore. A detailed report was submitted to the Govt of Assam which was cross checked and verified by the Inter-Ministerial Central team of GOI which visited Dhubri on July 11.
The district administration opened 178 relief camps and distributed relief materials for 872 affected villages covering a population of 11,36,436 of 1,42,891 families which is almost 58% of the total district population. 427 boats have been deployed for relief and rescue operation in different flood affected areas of Dhubri district.
