Assam Floods: CM Sarma reviews breached LB Embankment; Directs WRD to plug in the portion

As intense rains have been pounding north-eastern states Assam and Meghalaya for several days, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Saturday, inspected the breached LB Embankment near Bor Athiabari, caused by surging Saktola river in Darrang district.

The Minister also directed Ministers of Water Resources and Irrigation Department (WRD) to plug the breached portion at the earliest. Speaking to the locals, the BJP leader also assured local people that the embankment with new alignment will be made to improve fortification.

Taking to Twitter, CM Sarma wrote, "As the flood water recedes, Ministers of Water Resources & Irrigation Dept will come to expedite construction of new alignment of the embankment. MP @DilipSaikia4Bjp; MLAs @Bhabesh_KalitaR Paramananda Rajbongshi, Basanta Das; former MLA Gurujyoti Das accompanied."

As per the latest updates, over 31 people have lost their lives in floods and landslides in Assam and Meghalaya in the last two days. Reportedly, around 19 lakh people in 28 districts of Assam have been severely affected and one lakh people are taking shelter in relief camps.

Out of the total casualties, 12 people died in Assam and 19 in Meghalaya. The deaths were reported from Hojai, Nalbari, Bajali, Dhubri, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, and Sonitpur districts of Assam.

Tripura's capital Agartala has also reported a massive flood as the city received 145 mm rainfall in just six hours. It has recorded the third-highest rainfall in the past 60 years. Additionally, the officials have informed that Meghalaya's Mawsynram and Cherrapunji have also recorded the highest rainfall since 1940.

Furthermore, over 3,000 villages are flooded and over 43,000 hectares of cropland are underwater in Assam, damaging several roads, embankments and other properties.