Assam floods: PM Modi speaks to CM Sarma, assures all possible help from Centre

Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and enquired about the flood situation in the state.

PM Modi, during his phone call to the Assam CM also assured all possible help from the Central government to the disaster-hit state.

Taking to Twitter, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "At 6 am today, PM Modi called me to enquire about the flood situation in Assam. While expressing his concerns over hardships being faced by people due to this natural calamity, PM assured all help from Central Government."

As many as nine more persons died in Assam due to the flood, taking the overall death toll to 54, according to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Friday.

As many as 18.94 lakh people in 28 districts are affected by the flood situation.

The deaths were reported from Hojai, Nalbari, Bajali, Dhubri, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, and Sonitpur districts of Assam.

So far 54 people in the state have lost their lives in floods and landslides this year so far. As per the state data, 2,930 villages under 96 revenue circles are currently underwater.

The flood waters have submerged 43338.39 hectares of cropland in the flood-hit districts. The water level of Beki, Manas, Pagladiya, Puthimari, Jia Bharali, Kopili and Brahmaputra rivers are flowing above the danger level mark in many places of the state.

As many as 1,08,104 flood-affected people are currently, taking shelter at 373 relief camps set up by the district administration. Of which, 3.55 lakh people have been affected alone in Bajali district followed by 2.90 lakh people affected in Darrang, 1.84 lakh in Goalpara, 1.69 lakh in Barpeta, 1.23 lakh in Nalbari, 1.19 lakh in Kamrup and 1.05 lakh in Hojai district.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in Assam's Kamrup district deteriorated after the flood waters entered new areas affecting more than 70,000 people in the area.

The water level of the Borolia river and other major rivers of the district are rising up following incessant rains. The flood waters of the Borolia river on Thursday washed away a portion of an embankment at Choumukha and submerged several villages in the Hajo area.

Earlier on Thursday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor and director Rohit Shetty for their contribution of Rs 5 lakhs to the CM Relief Fund for the flood-affected people in the state. (ANI)

Source: National