Eight killed in Assam floods

Guwahati, June 21 (IANS) Eight persons have been killed in the floods in Assam that have affected at least 15 districts, a minister said Thursday, adding that large tracts of land are submerged uprooting vast populations.

The floods have affected 2,75,414 families in the state and damaged about 9,754.83 hectares of crop land in the past few weeks, Assam Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka said.

The figures might go up as flood waters have enundated areas and an assessment of the total damages has yet to be made.

"Four districts in lower Assam - Udalguri, Bongaigaon, Nalbari and Barpeta - have been identified as the worst affected districts," the minister said. Seven persons have died in Barpeta due to floods and a person has lost life in Nalbari district.

"Many areas in these four districts are still submerged," Deka said. According to the report of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), 15 districts were affected by the floods.

"We have instructed the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in the flood affected districts to make a detailed assessment of the damages, including loss of human lives, and submit it to the government at the earliest," Deka said.

"The government has also asked the DCs to initiate the repair works of roads and embankments which have been damaged by floods," he said.

Indo-Asian News Service

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