GUWAHATI, April 17 - A squall with a speed of around 68 kilometre per hour lashed the western, central and southern parts of the State around 2-15 am today wreaking heavy damage to the dwelling houses and power supply infrastructure in the Barak Valley districts and the Brahmaputra Valley districts of Dhubri, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Goalpara and both Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro) districts.
According to the sources in the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), reports of damage caused by the squall to around 200 houses were received from different parts of the State till early this evening. However, there is indication that this figure may shoot up. Among the districts, Barpeta is supposed to be the worst hit in this respect, while Cachar has sent reports of damage to around 70 to 80 houses caused by the squall, said the ASDMA sources.
However, till the filing of this report, no casualty has been reported from any part of the State, said the ASDMA sources.
Chief General Manager (CGM) of the Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd�s (APDCL�s) Lower Assam Region Sanjoy Bhowmik told this newspaper that the squall wreaked heavy damage to the power utility�s infrastructure, including the High Tension and Low Tension transmission lines� poles and power lines, in the above districts.
The officers and staff of the power utility are engaged in the work to restore power supply till the filing of this report this evening. Bhowmik said that within tonight power supply could be restored in the range of between 60 per cent and 70 per cent in the affected areas. The rest of the restoration work would be completed tomorrow, he said.
Borjhar-based Regional Meteorology Centre (RMC) sources here said that the squall was the product of the collective impacts of two troughs. However, the trough spreading from Bihar to Mizoram across Northwest Bengal at a height of 0.9 km above the sea level (ASL) was the main cause of the squall.
It was assisted by the other trough lying on longitude 87 degree East to the north of Latitude 24 degree North at a height of 2.1 km ASL, said the RMC sources.
When asked about the probable weather condition in the State tomorrow, the RMC sources said that weather will remain almost dry tomorrow over West Assam and South Assam. Voting for the Lok Sabha would be held in South Assam districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi and in the Central Assam districts of Nagaon, Darrang, while a small part of West Assam will also be covered by the voting activities tomorrow.
