Rangiya, Assam:
Even before lakhs of people in Assam, displaced due to floods, could return home, another four lakh people have been affected in a fresh wave of floods in the state. A third wave of floods has hit Assam this monsoon season, affecting 13 districts.
In the Bhoyra village in Lower Assam's Rangiya sub division, people are escaping to safer places. Their home and fields are completely engulfed by the Puthimari river which breached on Thursday evening. Around 150 homes have been inundated here, affecting 1300 people.
Bhadrasher Das, a school teacher, has lost eight bighas of standing crop in the flood that washed away hundreds of hectares of land.
"We have a huge problem... communication and roads have breached... we hope to get some relief from the government but that will not be adequate," Mr Das said.
In Lachi Bishnupur village, located further into the flooded plains, almost 1500 people are marooned. There are no roads to this village and they have been living like this since the first flash of flood in the last week of June.
"From June 26 we are in water... we have lost our houses, paddy fields. However, we have not received sufficient relief from the government," said Hiren Kalita, a farmer.
The National Disaster Response Force is on standby as the district administration is distributing relief and evacuating people.
"The present scenario is that the water is still rising. Some parts of Rangia are under water because of Puthimari and due to rain in Bhutan... Administration is taking all possible measures... we have requested the NDRF in case rescue is suddenly needed... also next step is relief," said Barnali Deka, Sub-Divisional Officer, Rangia.
It has been a cruel summer for Assam. Lakhs of people have been displaced in waves of flood across the state and ethnic riots in Lower Assam. With more embankments threatening to breach the flood, misery may affect many more people.