Guwahati, Aug 2: The flood situation in Assam showed signs of improvement on Saturday, with the number of affected people declining to nearly 1.78 lakh, although the number of flood-hit districts increased to seven, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
No fresh flood-related deaths were reported during the past 24 hours, leaving the overall death toll unchanged at 82, the ASDMA said.
The authority reported that the Dikhow river at Sivasagar and the Dhansiri (South) river at Numaligarh in Golaghat district continued to flow above the danger level.
Seven districts—Golaghat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Bajali, Dhemaji, Sonitpur and Jorhat—remained affected by the floods. The deluge continued to impact 20 revenue circles and 349 villages across the state.
According to the bulletin, 1,78,837 people were affected, down from 1.92 lakh recorded a day earlier. Despite the decline in the affected population, the number of flood-hit districts rose from five to seven.
Charaideo remained the worst-affected district, with 75,199 people impacted, followed by Sivasagar, where 58,824 people continued to face the effects of the floods.
Relief and rescue operations continued across the affected areas. The state government and disaster response agencies were operating 44 relief camps, sheltering around 15,000 displaced people, while 17 relief distribution centres were providing assistance to 5,569 people.
Floodwaters continued to damage agriculture, with about 15,060 hectares of cropland remaining submerged. The floods also affected livestock, with 1,543 animals washed away and another 6,765 reported to have been impacted.
Authorities also reported damage to houses, roads, bridges, schools and cattle sheds in several districts, while assessments of the overall losses remained underway.
Although the overall flood situation has improved, conditions continue to be challenging in parts of Upper Assam, particularly in Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat, where floodwaters are still disrupting normal life.
