The Hindu : Army on alert as Brahmaputra, tributaries are in spate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 07, 2002

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Army on alert as Brahmaputra, tributaries are in spate

Sandbags being placed along the Jaidhol river in Dhemaji district of Assam after floods swept away two km. of the National Highway 52. — — PTI

Guwahati July 6. The Army has been kept in readiness to assist the civil administration in flood-hit Dhemaji district of Assam where thousands of people are reeling under the impact of the water of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

The Flood Minister, Nurzamal Sarkar, told PTI here today that though the Army had not yet been pressed into service, the district administration had asked it to get ready to help in rescuing and providing relief to the victims.

Mr. Sarkar said the floods were not because of rain in Assam but due to heavy showers in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, geographically situated above the State. ``When the rain stops in those two States, the water level in our rivers will come down and the water in the villages dry within two days.''

The situation in Dhemaji continued to be grim with the rail tracks washed away by the river changing its course. Reconstruction works were on for a new rail route, the Minister said.

An alternative road communication had been worked out for movement of light vehicles following Jiadhol breaching the National Highway in several places.

Relief camps have been opened in Dhemaji and material sent to the victims. Doctors and medicines were also despatched to provide health care to the flood victims.

More than two lakh people have been hit by the floods, in the districts of Dhemaji, Kamrup, Nalbari, Barpeta, Goalpara and Lakhimpur.

2-lakh affected in Bihar

The flood situation in Bihar worsened today with incessant rain in the catchment areas of major rivers inundating the countryside since yesterday.

According to a Central Water Commission report, all the major rivers such as Kosi, Punpun, Bagmati and Ganga were showing a rising trend all along their course in the State.

Punpun and Bagmati had crossed the danger mark at Sripalpur and Benibad.

Official sources said nearly two lakh people were affected in over 250 villages in the districts of Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Sheohar. The State Water Resources Department have cancelled the leave of engineers in the flood-hit areas and asked them to report for duty immediately.

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Army on alert as Brahmaputra, tributaries are in spate