Alert
India - Assam Floods No. 16/2009
Geneva, 7 July 2009
About 400,000 people have been displaced in the state of Assam due to flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall. According to the Central Water Commission, the flood situation in Assam is critical with the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries flowing above the danger mark in at least eight places. The situation has worsened with the release of water from the Kurishu dam in Bhutan and , Karbi Langpi Hydel project in Assam.
Flooding in the past week has isolated more than 500 villages in the four upper Assam districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat and Naogaon. Central Assam's Morigaon, lower Assam's Barpeta, Guwahati (Kamrup district), Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Baksa have also been affected by floods. There have been several breaches in embankments in Eastern Lakhimpur district. In Matmorah, 100 meters stretch of embankment was washed away by the gushing flood water of Brahmaputra. One person was reported to be killed on Saturday (4th July) when his boat capsized near the biggest river island of Majuli in Jorhat district.
Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force have been engaged in search and rescue operations. Most of the displaced people are now lodged at makeshift shelters on raised embankments.
Relief camps are being set up for temporary shelter of the displaced people. The State Government of Assam has so far provided relief supplies to the affected areas in the form of 1,500 quintals of rice, 3,000 water purifying sachets and team of doctors for medical assistance in the affected areas. Immediate needs are assessed as food / dry food, safe drinking water, sites for safe defecation and strong surveillance systems fro monitor drinking water, sanitation and vector born diseases.
CASA is keeping a close watch on the flood situation in constant touch with LWSI. CASA plans to respond with operations, in case the flood situation further worsens.
Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).
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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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