By Express News Service
GUWAHATI: The Assam landslide and flood toll swelled to eight on Tuesday, with the death of one more person in Udalguri district.While five people were killed in landslides, three lost their lives in the flood.According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, over four lakh people across 26 districts have been affected. Authorities set up 89 relief camps where 39,558 people were taking shelter.
Around 6,540 houses were either partially or fully damaged while over 20,587 hectares of cropland damaged. Rivers Kopili in the Brahmaputra Valley and Barak and Kushiyara in the Barak Valley were flowing above the danger level.
Cachar, Dima Hasao, Hojai, Charaideo, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Bajali, Baksa, Biswanath and Lakhimpur were the worst-hit districts. Flood and the landslides snapped rail link in the hill section under Dima Hasao district. Train movement between Barak Valley and Tripura remained snapped.
Incidents of landslides were also reported from Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. The landslides on national highway 6 in Meghalaya disrupted road communication. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in view of massive landslide in Meghalaya, the movement of passenger and heavy vehicles had been severely affected in the Barak Valley.
The meteorological centre predicted more rains. “…moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal is likely to continue over to Northeast due to strong lower level southerly/south-westerly winds during May 17-19. Under its influence, widespread rainfall, accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Arunachal, Assam…,” it said.
Railways suffer R100 cr loss New Delhi: The Railways have incurred loss of around Rs 100 crore due to torrential rains and massive mudslides in Dima Hasao district through which the rail connectivity passes to Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and southern parts of Assam. A survey to assess the extent of damages has already started.So far, 2,500 passengers have been rescued and airlifted after two trains were stranded on the inundated the railway tracks due to torrential rain. The new Haflong railway station is the worst-affected in Dima-Hasao. The railway has refunded over Rs 8 lakh to 1,006 passengers who had booked their tickets for journey on the affected sections. “So far, 26 trains partially and 28 completely have been cancelled till May 24,” NF railway chief spokesperson Sabyasachi De told TNIE.
