GUWAHATI, Sept 23 � Incessant rains are to be blamed for the present flood situation in the State. The present flood situation has no connection with release of stored water by China in the upstream of the rivers that have originated within the Chinese territory. This was the assertion made by highly placed sources in the State Water Resources Department (WRD) while talking to this correspondent here today.
Heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh and the Upper Assam districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji and Lakhimpur is responsible for the present flood situation in the Upper Assam areas, claimed the sources.
Quoting Central Water Commission sources, WRD sources said that the present flood situation in the Upper Assam areas cannot be attributed to the release of stored water by China. During the past five days, the Dibang, the Lohit and the Siang received around 631.40 mm of rainfall at Passighat. Over Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh, there occurred 376.47 mm of rainfall during the same period.
During the period, 476.70mm of rainfall was received by Dhola and 247.98 mm of rainfall was received by Dibrugarh in Assam.
During the past ten days, about 400 mm of rainfall was received by Dibrugarh. This has led to the flash flood situation in Dibrugarh and to add to the misery of the town, the Brahmaputra is also in spate.
In the Lower Assam areas, the breach in the right bank embankment built by the Panchayat authorities on the Puthimari near Dholabari in Baksa district, has led to inundation of some areas of Rangiya and Hajo revenue circles in Kamrup district.
The flood in the Pandu area of Guwahati city has been caused by the backwaters of the Brahmaputra that have entered the area through a shutterless drain laid by the Railways with its outfall on the Brahmaputra. The WRD is now attempting to install a shutter on the mouth of the drain, sources said.
