Dhemaji flood scene critical, dyke breached
By A Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, July 26 Overall flood situation in Dhemaji district turned
critical today following yet another breach in the embankment of Jiadhol river
last night and the problem complicated as the Bailey bridge constructed by the
Army for connecting the district was also overtopped by flood waters last
night. Official sources in Dhemaji told The Assam Tribune that floodwaters of
Jiadhol river breached the embankment at Dehari Chapori village last night,
which aggravated the situation. The district was already cut off following two
breaches in the embankments of Kumotia river on July 12 and following
yesterdays breach, the number of people affected by floods in the district has
gone up to more than 50,000. However, fortunately, the people had been alerted
about the poor condition of the Jiadhol embankment before the breach occurred
and there were no casualties.
Sources said that the district has been virtually turned into a cluster of
islands following the breaches of the embankments all communication links
between Dhemaji and the rest of the State have been cut off. The National
Highway 52 has been breached by gushing floodwaters at four places and it will
take some time before the road is repaired. Though the Army constructed a
Bailey bridge on the alternative PWD road from Gogamukh to Dhemaji via
Ghilamora to resume the road link to the district after a wooden bridge
collapsed at Bordoibam, that too has been overtopped last night, thereby
cutting off all kinds of communication to the district. The ferry services from
Dibrugarh have also been suspended today after the rise in the water level of
the Brahmaputra River, thus all kinds of communication to the district have
been totally snapped.
Official sources said that the district has not yet faced scarcity of essential
foodstuff as the Food Corporation of India maintained adequate stock, but the
possibility of hoarding to create artificial scarcity cannot be ruled out and
the district administration is maintaining a close watch on the situation. The
district will, however, face shortage of petroleum products soon as it is
impossible to move in oil tankers to Dhemaji under the present circumstances
and even if the water level recedes, the wooden bridges on the PWD road from
Gogamukh to Dhemaji would not be able to take the load of the tankers.
Alarming rise of the water level of the Brahmaputra is also causing serious
concern. Though the embankments of the river are holding on till now and the
E&D Department assured that those were in good shape, the District
Administration is keeping its fingers crossed and a close watch is being
maintained.
Sources said that the affected people are taking shelter in the temporary
shelters and tarpaulin sheets have been provided. The district, known to be one
of the most flood- prone in the State, does not have any speedboat and the
administration has pressed 45 country boats into service for transporting
relief materials and to transport medical teams to the affected places. Two Air
Force helicopters were pressed into service when the first breach of embankment
took place on July 12 to rescue marooned people, but that proved to be futile
as there was no dry ground in the affected areas for the choppers to land. Now
the rescue operations are carried out by country boats alone. However, the
disaster management teams comprising local youths, who were trained up under a
special programme of the UNDP, are turning out to be very useful in rescuing
people from the worst hit areas. The administration has also installed around
50 hand tubewells near the temporary shelters to provide
drinking water to the affected people.
Our Dibrugarh Staff Correspondent adds: More than sixteen villages under Joypur
and Tingkhong block in the district have been faced with the fury of flood,
emanating from the Disang and Buri Dehing rivers.
The entire paddy cultivated land of estimated twelve hundred farmers of
Naharani, Nomati, Hamuktula, Jamuguri, Roghuguri, Merbandha, Bhatibeel,
Ghooronia and Panibura under Joypur development block and Geladisang, Kodomoni,
Sessabeel, Sessa Nepali, Dhaman, Kenduguri and Aghonibari village under
Tingkhong development block have come under the floodwaters.
As the floodwaters indicate increase in most areas, it is expected to sweep
more agricultural land in the adjacent villages. With the rising water level,
the planted paddy seedlings have completely gone beneath, while most of them
have been uprooted and carried away. The incessant rain in the region for full
six-day has largely added to the calamity.
The swelling Disang river is said to have spilled over after making its way
through the feeble embankment in between Hamuktula and Roghuguri village, while
the dyke gave way for the Buri Dehing water in Dhaman.
(The Assam Tribune,27.07.2007)
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