Assam floods damage roads in Barpeta district, villagers stranded

Barpeta (Assam) [India], September 6 (ANI): Villagers of Sukhuwarjhar Mahishkhuti area in Assam’s Barpeta district are facing massive problems after the recent flood washed away a big portion of a road connecting to the area.

According to the locals, the recent flood has also damaged several roads in the area.

A local villager said that they are facing a similar problem every year as floods damage the road connecting to their locality.

“The road was also damaged by flood waters last year. Students are not able to reach their school after the flood waters washed away a big portion of the road. Many patients in this area are also facing massive problems. We appeal to the government to repair the road as soon as possible. Many villagers are now using banana rafts to cross the damaged road,” the local villager said.

The overall flood situation in Assam remains critical, as nearly 3.41 lakh people in 22 districts have been affected by the deluge.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 818 villages under 52 revenue circles have been affected and nearly 22,000 hectares of crop area have been submerged by flood waters.

The district administration has set up 153 relief camps and relief distribution centres in the affected areas.

Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora told ANI that the state government will extend all support to the affected farmers.

“Till August 31, the flood waters have submerged around 22,000 hectares of crop area across the state. We had a community nursery in each district of the state so that farmers could get alternative crops. Our government is committed to helping our farmers. Earlier, affected farmers didn’t get anything from the government, but our government has given compensation to the farmers for the damage. We are coordinating with all districts,” Atul Bora said.