4 Dead, 6.5 Lakh Displaced in Assam Floods, Heavy Rains Hamper Rescue Ops

Morigaon, Assam: Four people have died and over 6.5 lakh people have been affected by floods in Assam, nearly 2 lakh people being shifted to relief camps, as rescue teams by state government, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Indian Army are trying to move people to safer areas. There are reports of people missing in some areas as well as heavy rains continue in the region.

In Morigaon district, it took the NDTV team almost 2 hours to reach the totally flooded village of Simaltola by boat.

300 people have set up a huge tent on the banks of the Brahmaputra River to escape flooding in their village. A dangerous move, but residents like 52-year-old Rustam Ali say there is no option. The NDTV team, they say, are the first people to reach here, "we are in fear but where can we go, we don't have any boats, our homes are under water, we can only pray to God, " said Mr Ali.

A few kilometres away at Gagalmari, 2,000 people have been taking shelter at an embankment for nearly a month. They came here during the first wave of floods, but have not been able to go back home since. Locals say there has been no help from the state government.

42-year-farmer Muzamil Haq says, "Since last one month I have been living with five members of my family on this embankment. Earlier there was less water, but now it has inundated everything ".

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According to government officials, 270 relief camps have been set up in six of the worst affected districts, and they are trying their best to reach all affected areas, but incessant rains are a big impediment.

Rescue teams of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force are operating in the worst affected areas. Despite their efforts, many in the flooded areas are still living on nothing more than just a prayer.

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