HAILAKANDI, June 16 - Assam�s southern district Hailakandi seems to be the worst hit during this year�s first wave of floods with over two lakh people adversely affected.
A boy aged 18 of village Rangauti under Hailakandi Revenue Circle died today due to drowning.
Of the 331 villages, 231 are reeling under flood waters with the major rivers Katakhal, Dholeswari and Barak still flowing above the danger level.
Among the four revenue circles, Lala, Algapur and Katlicherra are badly affected, followed by Hailakandi.
Approximately 1,423.15 hectares of cropland are under water, thereby affecting 22,996 farming families.
Further, 316 marooned persons were evacuated by SDRF and NDRF personnel. In all, 216 persons were rescued in the worst-hit Lala Revenue Circle and 100 in Algapur. Assam Rifles has been kept on standby mode to deal with any emergency.
The district administration has opened 87 relief camps accommodating 54,364 people. Officials of the district administration and concerned departments are monitoring relief and rescue operations.
Food items like rice, dal and salt are being distributed among the affected people. There is no shortage of foodstuff with the district administration headed by Deputy Commissioner Adil Khan keeping close liaison with the top echelons at Dispur and officials of the Food Corporation of India.
The Public Health Engineering Department is providing drinking water to the affected people while the State Health Department has put up medical camps at different locations.
Fodder is being provided to the livestock by the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department. Over two lakh animals and poultry have been affected by the surging waters.
Members of Lala Press Club today distributed some relief material among the flood-hit people of different villages here.
However, surface communication has remained cut off in the district as all the national highways and PWD roads have been submerged.
