Guwahati: Flash floods triggered by heavy rains in past three days has affected over two lakh people and disrupted road and rail communication in Assam, officials said on Thursday.
The failure of the state administration in providing relief and rehabilitation to the flood victims has also created anger among the residents who, on Thursday, took 18 MLAs hostage.
The legislators were on their way to Dhubri for a field visit when they were confronted by a huge crowd of flood victims taking shelter on NH-31. However, local police rescued the MLAs, who admitted that the situation was bad and that the administration has failed to take note of people suffering due to floods.
With mroe than 20,000 people rendered homeless, Bongaigaon was the worst-hit district in the state. Fed by many tributaries, the Ayi river, which flows through the district, has washed away cattle and houses prompting the district administration to declare holiday in all schools, many of which were converted to relief camps.
The transportation lines across the state took a big hit as main roads and railway tracks were flooded. The officials of the Northeast Frontier Railway announced the cancellation of several trains on Thursday, as the tracks between Bijni and Chaprakata stations were flooded. Parts of NH-31 in Kasugaon at Kokrajhar district and stretches connecting Dudhnoi and Matia, also came under floods, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded.
A total of 282 villages across Dhemaji, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts were affected by the flash-floods, prompting the the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to issue a high alert.
The Central Water Commission (CWC) said in a report that Brahmaputra river had crossed the danger mark at Dibrugarh, Nematighat in Jorhat, Beki river in Barpeta, Puthimari in Kamrup and Jia Bharali at NT Road crossing in Sonitpur.
The situation has also raised fears of soil erosion, though it is yet to be assessed.
