Jorhat, Sept. 24: Water from the Bhogdoi gushed through the Malowkhat area in northwest Jorhat today. Heavy rainfall in the past few days has resulted in the river overflowing its embankment, flooding buildings in the vicinity.
Dul Dutta, a Malowkhat resident, whose mother had died of shock after watching their house collapse in the swirling waters in July, said the compound of his house had been inundated since last night.
“I am scared that if the rain continues we will face a situation similar to what we experienced in July. At that time we had been forced to take refuge in relief camps,” he said. The water resources department put geo bags as a temporary measure where the river had breached its embankment on July 8, affecting a population of 50,000. These were washed away in the latest phase of heavy rainfall.
Arup Bora, another resident, said he had already shifted the household articles to an elevated platform that he built during the last wave of floods.
“Water gushing in over the embankment was an unforgettable sight. Staying at relief camps was also very distressing. Just when normalcy seemed to have returned, we are facing another flood threat,” Bora said.
Officials of the district administration visited Malowkhat High School today and conducted an awareness camp among the students on how to maintain health and hygiene during floods. They also distributed food.
H.P. Mili, executive engineer of the water resources department, said: “We had placed geo bags in July. It is only after the water recedes that we can put more bags.”
Mili assured that the situation would not turn as bad as it was in July. “It has not rained since last night. Since this is the time of retreating monsoon, rainfall is usually not heavy or prolonged. The water level has also receded today,” he said.
A meeting was held in this regard at the office of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority yesterday, Mili added.
The proposal to reconstruct the breached part of the embankment and repair of other portions would be sanctioned soon, he said.
