UNBROKEN SPIRIT

Guwahati, July 27: The flood situation in Assam remained grim today with 16.68 lakh people affected in 21 districts as the surging waters of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries inundated more areas.

The floodwaters have claimed five persons since yesterday while two world heritage sites, the Kaziranga and Manas national parks, remained submerged. Dabal Mili, 8, was washed away by the surging waters of Boginadi in Lakhimpur district yesterday. In Dhubri district, the body of Wazed Ali, 50, of Jhagrarpar village, who had gone missing yesterday while fishing in floodwaters, was recovered last night. A one-and-a-half year old baby drowned at Bilasipara last night. In Chirang district, ailing Jogesh Roy, 55, and Naba Roy, 24, who were marooned, died for want of medical treatment.

The army, NDRF and the SDRF today rushed to Majuli to evacuate people from flood-affected areas. More than a lakh people in 110 villages have been displaced there.

Jorhat deputy commissioner Virendra Mittal also rushed to Majuli to take stock of the situation.

He wrote to chief secretary V.K. Pipersenia, recommending departmental action against 11 officials (of different departments like education, agriculture and veterinary) posted on the island for leaving without intimation or permission from the sub-divisional administration.

Vittal told The Telegraph over phone from Majuli this evening that the officials were not found on duty at a time when the island was in the grip of severe floods. He said he had received complaints that these officials, including engineers, leave Majuli every weekend without informing or taking the approval of the sub-divisional administration, which is compulsory. He also directed Majuli sub-divisional officer (civil) Narsing Pawar to issue showcause notices to nine other officials for not attending flood-review meetings in the past few days in Majuli. He has issued a directive that no government employee posted in Majuli can leave station till August 15.

In Golaghat district, the Brahmaputra breached the Halodhibari-Besamara embankment near Bongaon last evening. Punya Saikia, a resident, said the houses of 14 families were washed away. They somehow managed to save their lives. "About 15,000 people took shelter on the embankment. The only food they got was flat rice and jaggery. Till 11 this morning, no one from the administration had visited the site. My house is also flooded and all my clothes and other articles have got damaged," he said, adding that those stranded on the other side of the embankment had not got any relief.

In Dhubri district, more than three lakh people, including those in urban areas, reeled under floods as the water level of the Brahmaputra showed a rising trend. Of these, about one lakh people remained trapped in floodwaters despite rescue operations by the SDRF and the NDRF, administration sources said.

A senior official of Dhubri district said the situation was likely to remain critical for the next 24 hours with more areas getting inundated. "Floodwaters in Dhubri are heading towards the highest level (30.36m) recorded in 1988. It is predicted to cross 30m, which will be a matter of great concern," Dhubri additional deputy commissioner Debojit Khanikar said.

An official of Dhubri division water resource department said the danger level of the Brahmaputra is 28.62m but it is flowing above 1.16m in Dhubri with a rising trend.

In Dhubri town, all shops downed shutters following inundation and private schools and institutions remained closed. Nearly 30,000 people marooned in the town demanded relief materials.

The situation, however, improved slightly in the lower Assam districts of Kokrajhar and Chirang with water levels of major river receding fast, though many areas remain submerged forcing people to stay in relief camps.

In some flood-affected areas of Chirang, the administration started rescue and relief operations today with the help of NDRF. Though the water level of the Aie and its tributaries receded, the low-lying and riverine areas remained submerged. Two medical teams have been sent to Sidli and Bijni revenue circles. Nine relief camps in Sidli and four in Bijni have been set up.

In Kokrajhar, 15,000 people in about 50 villages have been affected by the rising waters of the Sankosh, the Sormanga and the Gongia. Altogether 9,526 people are taking shelter in 11 relief camps.