The News Minute | September 30, 2014 | 09:36 am IST
With reports of two more deaths on Monday, the toll in the Assam floods has risen to 42, with around 6 lakh people being affected by the deluge.
According to a report in Outlook, 201 relief camps and shelter homes have been set-up, where 1.63 lakh people are lodged at present. 495 villages across six districts have been severely affected by the floods and over one lakh hectares of crop area have been damaged across the state. Several roads, bridges, private and government properties have also been damaged in the floods. The Northeast Frontier Railway has reportedly cancelled 12 trains and diverted or short-terminated 11 others after the floods damaged some tracks. The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark across several regions in the state, adds the report.
The Assam government is planning to form a Group of Ministers (GoM) to access the flood situation in the state, the cause of and damage by the floods, the reason for the recurring floods in the region, and then formulate strategies accordingly.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is said to have advocated this measure after he visited few areas Goalpara, one of the worst affected regions in the state, on Sunday, reports The Times of India. The state government has also said that it has not received any funds from the Centre under the state disaster relief funds scheme for 2014-15.