Assam’s Flood Control Minister Nurzamal Sarkar stated: “The flood situation has turned critical in parts of eastern Assam... in Dhemaji alone the damage was devastating, with people forced to take shelter in makeshift camps and on embankments.” He said the state government had requested an immediate grant of 4 billion rupees ($US83 billion) from the federal government but had received no response.
A local district magistrate in Dhemaji said supplies of essential goods had stopped and warned of a “crisis-like” situation in the area. “Very soon, the existing stocks would dry up and we might have to face scarcity of food unless road links are restored.” State Health Minister Rupam Singh Rongkong expressed concern over the possible outbreak of waterborne diseases.
The first deaths in Assam were reported on Wednesday. Two children were swept away by surging floodwaters in Majuli, a large island in the Brahmaputra River. But the death toll in the state may rise as communications are restored. “There are virtually no communication links and even if some people have died or drowned we would get those reports after a few days,” a police officer in Dhemaji told the press.
A local district magistrate in Dhemaji said supplies of essential goods had stopped and warned of a “crisis-like” situation in the area. “Very soon, the existing stocks would dry up and we might have to face scarcity of food unless road links are restored.” State Health Minister Rupam Singh Rongkong expressed concern over the possible outbreak of waterborne diseases.
The first deaths in Assam were reported on Wednesday. Two children were swept away by surging floodwaters in Majuli, a large island in the Brahmaputra River. But the death toll in the state may rise as communications are restored. “There are virtually no communication links and even if some people have died or drowned we would get those reports after a few days,” a police officer in Dhemaji told the press.