DIBRUGARH, Sept 3 - While the waterlogging is gradually subsiding in the city here, thousands continue to grapple with the flood waters in the rural areas. The worst is that the people have lost both standing crops and their well stocked paddy in the flood.
Domestic animals, cattle and birds, which is the occasional food and additional income source for the farmers, are also now on the verge of death.
The people are being provided food items but the cattle, livestock and birds have not eaten for almost a week.
In the Dibrugarh (West) revenue circle, deaths of cattle and birds have been reported from Lezai, Kalakhowa and Gorudhuria gaon panchayat areas. �Several goats and birds including boiler chickens have died. Animals like cows, bulls and pigs are starving and looking sick,� Pradip Dehingia, the Gaon Burha of Sessa Nagaon village told The Assam Tribune.
Dehingia said that the people did not get the time to carry their accumulated paddy and other essentials to safer places. �The water level of the flood suddenly rose and gushed into the store houses. The little grains we had stored also got damaged in the flood waters,� he narrated. Although several have taken shelter on roadsides and on the sides of railway tracks besides being in relief camps, some have chosen to stay at home to protect their other belongings.
Total number of animals and cattle affected in the flood has been estimated to be about 14,000 and birds including ducks affected are estimated to be around 3500.
People in 20 wards of the municipality here and in altogether 248 villages in the district are today reeling under the deluge. The district administration has been dispatching quintals of rice, dal, salt and other essentials but has overlooked the safety of animals, birds and cattle as so far no fodder or other food has been provided to them.
