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Marooned visually challenged elderly couple rescued in North Lakhimpur

By Farhana Ahmed

NORTH LAKHIMPUR, July 15 - A visually challenged elderly couple, both in their late 70s, were rescued from a flooded house in a remote Lakhimpur village as the flood situation in the district looked up.

Padmeswar Das and his wife Chobi Das, both visually challenged, were marooned in their hut at Amtola village in Lakhimpur district since several days now as the couple had no one to take care of them. Though their son is long deceased, the elderly couple were looked after by their daughter and son-in-law. Their daughter, it may be mentioned, had to stay away due to her pregnancy, and their son-in-law too could not come due to the floods.

Fortunately, the crew of a news channel first spotted the helpless couple today and they were subsequently rescued from the flooded village by Dr Joy Prakash Das, president of the District Congress Committee. The elderly couple were taken to Rajeev Bhawan by Dr Das, where they were taken care of by people with medicine, food and clothing.

However, there are thousands of people who are still marooned in many parts of the district. According to the district authority, about 65,888 persons have been affected by floods in 235 villages across North Lakhimpur. The district administration till July 13 distributed 700.39 quintals of rice, 1,251.23 quintals of pulses, 370.82 quintals of salt, 1,948 pieces of tarpaulin, 385 tube wells and 2,792.48 quintals of cattle fodder in the flood-affected areas.

The NDRF and SDRF personnel has rescued 2,651 people from flood affected areas so far in Lakhimpur district and 20 flood relief camps have been set up in remote flood hit areas of the district. The district administration has also set up 227 healthcare centres for the flood victims in the district. However, many flood-affected areas are still out of the assessment of flood relief operations in Lakhimpur district.

Many villagers of Gossinpaam, Gopsar, Kulamowa, Maazgaon, Jamuguri, Naharbari and Bhekeli under North Lakhimpur Revenue Circle alleged that they had not been given any relief material. Villagers near Angarkhowa Chariali have been demanding the cutting off of a dyke on the southern side of river Somdiri to release the stagnant flood water of the Ranganadi.

The Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner Braun Bhuyan and Circle Officer Manjeet Borkakoty visited the affected area, but a rift among the villagers concerning the dyke has made the situation more complex.

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