Kiren Rijiju visits Assam, Arunachal Pradesh

Guwahati: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concern over the devastating floods in Northeast, Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday had an aerial survey of flood-hit districts of Assam, where the death toll due to deluge has mounted to 45.

Mr Rijiju was accompanied by officials of the National Disaster Response Force, Niti Aayog and National Disaster Management Authority.

Before his aerial survey of the flood-hit areas, Mr Rijiju met district administration officials in Lakhimpur, which has been hit the hardest by floods, and visited deluge-ravaged Pasnoi Baolidan village. More than three lakh people have been marooned by floodwaters in Lakhimpur district alone.

Though there was no rain in the district over the last two days, the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries are flowing above the danger level at several places in the state. The water level has also started receding in some areas, the minister was told.

Heavy rainfall in upper catchment area of Arunachal Pradesh as well as Lakhimpur had increased the water level of all the 14 rivers and their tributaries in the district.

The situation took the worst turn after Ranganadi, Dikting and Singra rivers swelled up after NEEPCO dam in Yazuli released water in huge quantity, the district officials told Mr Rijiju.

It is significant that water was released from the dam without any prior information to the people living in catchment areas.

After visiting flood-hit districts of Dhemaji and Majuli, Mr Rijiju will fly to Itanagar to take stock of the flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, BSF soldier Vipul Kumar Mishra was washed away in floodwater in South Salmara district of Assam.

Though, the BSF has launched a search operation to rescue the soldiers, the search team was yet to find any trace of BSF soldiers washed away in heavy current of water.

The Northeastern states—-Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur are reeling under massive floods since last two weeks. At least 45 people have lost their lives in Assam, where more than 15 lakh people in 23 districts have been affected by the deluge.

The heavy rain and floods have also caused massive erosion and land sliding in many areas leaving over 31,456 people homeless in16 districts.