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Assam Floods: Over 20 Dead, 2 Lakh Evacuated To Relief Camps

One of its worst floods ever.
An Indian Mishing tribal woman sits at her traditional hut surrounded by flood waters at Majuli.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Indian Mishing tribal woman sits at her traditional hut surrounded by flood waters at Majuli.

Assam is facing one of its worst floods ever. According to the latest reports, over 20 people have died and nearly 18 lakh people have been affected by the floods.

More than 2 lakh people are living in 500 relief camps.

The National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force is working in tandem with evacuation operations, reports Mint.

The worst affected areas are--Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Goalpara, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon and Sonitpur.

The state has now asked the Centre to pitch in with relief efforts.

"This is worse than 2004. Since birth, we have been battling floods. Every year, it is the same story. We hope things will improve soon," a resident of a flood-affected village told NDTV.

The Army and National Disaster Response Force have been rushed to the state for rescue operations.

Meanwhile, relief materials have been brought to the state by choppers.

According to the India Meteorological Department, heavy rainfall has been forecast for several parts of the state in the next three days.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Assam tomorrow to assess the flood situation.

The Water Resources Department today suspended four officials for alleged negligence during the current wave of flood in Majuli island, the constituency of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

An order to this effect has been issued by the Water Resources Department Secretary, a government release said.

The four officials have been suspended pending departmental proceedings on the charge that they were absent from the site at the time of occurrence of breach on the Brahmaputra Dyke from Bessamora to Haldibari under Majuli Water Resources Department, the release said.

Besides, show cause notices have been issued to Majuli Water Resources Division Executive Engineer Buddhi Nath Shyam and Kamalabari Water Resources Sub-Division Assistant Executive Engineer Babul Chandra Deori.

With inputs from Agencies

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