Floods havoc in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh

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Updated on : 08-09-2013 06:46 PM

Lakhs of people have been hit in at least 15 districts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by floods caused by torrential rains in the last few days, an official bulletin said.

Flash floods have affected over three lakh people in Assam’s 10 districts of Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivsagar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia district, said the bulletin prepared by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. The bulletin said 36 relief camps have been set up by the district authorities for the flood-hit. The officials of the Central Water Commission warned that the Brahmaputra river and three of its tributaries – Dhansiri, Jiadhal, Puthimari – and the Beki river were still flowing above the danger mark at several places of the state. In neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, at least five districts were affected by floods in the last few days. Chief minister Nabam Tuki Saturday made an aerial survey and visited the flood-hit areas of Changlang, Lohit, Upper and Lower Dibang Valley and East Siang districts. The chief minister announced an amount of Rs.2.5 crore for emergency protection works in all the flood-hit areas and instructed the chief secretary to release the fund immediately. Official sources in the Arunachal Pradesh said that the rising water level of the Noa-Dihing and the Siang rivers had caused the floods.

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Army flag march in Muzaffarnagar, toll surge 14

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Army on Sunday staged a flag march in riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar district where the toll in clashes between members of two communities rose to 12 even as 30 persons have been arrested for the violence.

Curfew remained in force in Civil Lines, Kotwali and Nai Mandi areas of the district with Army carrying out a flag march in the troubled areas. Five companies of PAC and as many of RAF and police have also been deployed. “Twelve people have been killed in the clashes and the toll is expected to rise as some people are missing. Police is searching for them,” District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said. The bodies of two persons were recovered from Bhopa Police Station area this morning and one from Chapar Police station. Arun Kumar, ADG, Law and Order said the “Situation is totally under control. No unlawful incident has been reported so far since last night. Army has been deployed, they have started with a flag march”. “Since last night we have arrested around 30 persons and we hope the situation will remain under control,” he said, adding the District Magistrate and the SP have been given special instructions to deal with the situation with “soft hands”. Tension has been running high in the district since three persons were killed in Kawal village on August 27. Yesterday, nine persons, including a TV channel journalist, were killed and 34 injured in clashes. IBN7 channel’s part-time correspondent Rajesh Verma and a photographer hired by police, Israr, were among those killed in the violence. Saturday’s violence curred as a meeting was being held in Naglabadhod in defiance of prohibitory orders to demand withdrawal of cases registered in connection with August 27 violence in Kawal. Giving details about the clashes in the district, Kumar said, “There was an incident in a village of Muzaffarngar two days ago and a fake video related to murder of two persons in a village was uploaded on the Internet. “We blocked that particular video but unfortunately the CDS were circulated in the village. One particular community gave call for mahapanchayat and created law and order situation. “When people started coming from villages, communal clashes took place at two places. When the tension was visible, people were asked to disperse. While they were dispersing, there was political violence in the district,” Kumar said. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had on Saturday said that those behind the clashes will not be spared. He said senior officials, both in Muzaffarnagar and Lucknow, is working to restore peace and is keeping a vigil on the situation there. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Government today announced an ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh to the kin of the TV journalist and Rs 10 lakh to the family of others who were killed in clashes between members of two communities in Muzaffarnagar. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had earlier announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the journalist’s family and Rs five lakh each to the kin of five others killed in the clashes. The seriously injured in the incident will be paid Rs 50,000 each while those who received minor injuries will get Rs 20,000, officials said. IBN7 channel’s part-time correspondent Rajesh Verma and five others were killed as fresh clashes between members of two communities erupted in Muzaffarnagar, after which indefinite curfew was clamped and the army deployed to help maintain law and order. Tensions running high since three persons were killed in Kawal village on 27th August on Saturday flared up in clashes in several parts of the district.