As many as 11 people have died in floods and landslides in the past 24 hours, Assam State Disaster Management Authority said on Monday. The flood situation in the state remained critical, affecting nearly 43 lakh people in 33 of its 35 districts. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed air dropping of food and other relief materials in areas where there is heavy inundation.
The death toll in the ongoing flood and landslides in the state increased to 73 on Monday. Among the dead were two police personnel, including an officer-in-charge of a police station in the Nagaon district who had gone to help marooned people but were swept away. Their bodies were fished out in the early hours of Monday.
In view of the grim situation in the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday. The home minister said that the government stands firmly with the people of Assam and Meghalaya, another state that is witnessing floods due to heavy rainfall.
The home minister said an inter-ministerial Central team will visit the flood-affected areas of Assam and Meghalaya to assess the damage.
He also said that following the earlier spell of floods, an inter-ministerial Central team visited the affected areas of Assam from May 26 to 29.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia has sought from Prime Minister Narendra Modi a central package of at least Rs 20,000 crore for relief and rehabilitation work in areas that suffered damage due to flood over the last three to four years.
He urged the Centre to declare the problem of flood and erosion in the state, which has already claimed more than 70 lives this year, as a national calamity.
