A woman crosses a flooded area over a raft made of banana tree trunks in Assam's Morigaon district. (Press Trust of India)
After about a week of respite, the flood situation in Assam has worsened again with three more persons losing their lives, taking the toll to 18.
Over 9 lakh people have been affected in nearly 2,000 villages due to incessant rains across the state.
Just when it seemed the worst flooding was over for Assam this season, the rains have struck back again. As of today, about 9 lakh people in 18 districts were affected in the floods.
Upper Assam's Dhemaji is the worst affected, and so are adjoining areas like Dibrugarh, where a mother and her minor son were washed away by a river in spate as they were trying to get to a relief camp in the area.
In many places, rail communication has been hit since bridges have either been washed away or have been damaged. The Assam government says it has opened up 214 relief camps in the worst affected districts, and over 50,000 people have taken shelter in them.
Many prominent rivers in the state are flowing above the danger mark, including the Brahmaputra. For now, many across the state have to bear the fury of these floods, something that disrupts life here every year.