July 1, 2012
Ashadh Shukla 12, Kaliyug Varsha 5114

Guwahati (Assam) : With the current spell of floods and landslides claiming 77 lives in Assam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are scheduled to visit the affected areas on Monday.

An official today said that 61 people died in floods and 16 in landslides, while six persons were reported missing.

The report said all the 27 districts have been affected by floods while landslides have occurred in three districts.

It said the Brahmaputra and the Kapili rivers were flowing above danger level at various places.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister and the UPA chairperson are slated to visit the state tomorrow to take stock of the situation.

Singh and Gandhi are expected to reach Jorhat by a special flight and conduct an aerial survey of Majuli island, which has suffered serious damage in the flood.

From there, they will come to Guwahati and hold talks with ministers and senior state government officials, before returning to Delhi.

The government report said 2,166 villages across 113 revenue circles in the state were hit and 19.37 lakh people affected.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed in 16 areas and rescue operations are on in nine districts.

Besides, seven teams of army personnel have been deployed in Barpeta, Dhemaji, Dima-Hasao, Sibsagar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia districts.

Large segments of the Kaziranga National Park remained under water. In Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, 80 per cent of the area inhabited by rhinos is under water.

Source : TOI