The flood scenario in Assam remained critical with floodwaters of several tributaries of the Brahmaputra continuing to inundate hundreds of villages in Lakhimpur district for the third day on Monday. The death toll in the first wave of floods in the district on Monday stood at 10. The official figure, however, is four. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will visit flood-affected Lakhimpur district on Tuesday.

Official sources in Guwahati said that the Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger level at Dibrugarh, and had shown a rising trend along its 700-km course in the state. At Dibrugarh, the river had crossed the red mark early on Monday, while the water level was rising at Nimatighat (Jorhat), Tezpur, Guwahati, Dhubri during the day.

In Lakhimpur, where the authorities were caught unawares as flash floods hit the Lakhimpur sub-division in the wee hours of Saturday, the administration has opened 14 relief camps. The National Disaster Response Force and the Army have been pressed into service to aid the civil administration.

Over three lakh people in Lakhimpur have been affected, with Additional Deputy Commissioner Alak Saharia saying that preliminary estimates have put the loss at over Rs 50 crore. “Over 50,000 houses in 347 villages have been damaged, while the people have lost over 7,500 cattle in the flash floods,” he said.

The flash floods in Dikrong, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra coming down from Arunachal Pradesh, cut off 50 metres of NH-52, five km west of Lakhimpur town. The Dikrong, Ranganadi, Singora, Rupang, Pisola, Bogoli and Gabharu — all Brahmaputra tributaries — have caused extensive damage to embankments in 15 spots.

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