Army personnel involved in rescue operations in Assam
Nearly 40 people have been killed and thousands displaced in floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain in several districts of Assam and Meghalaya.
While 25 people have reportedly been killed in Meghalaya, the death toll in Assam has touched 13.
Some of the low-lying areas in Meghalaya such as Rajabala, Selsella, Charbatapara and Pushkurnipra are reportedly inundated. The flood situation in the West Garo Hills is also grim though water levels have receded in the worst-affected areas such as Chibinang and Tikrikilla.
Boats could not be put to use in certain areas due to excessive mud and slush.
Relief materials such as ration, candles, mineral water bottles and torch lights have been transported to the areas which are submerged. Suppliers of the Public Distribution System (PDS) have been asked to keep buffer stocks of food grains.
As far as road traffic is concerned, National Highway 51 was still blocked and multiple landslides have led to a large number of vehicles being stranded. Six teams of rescue personnel have been given the task of clearing the debris, but owing to overnight rains, the process is likely to take time.
In Assam, Air Force helicopters have been pressed into service which aids other paramilitary forces on the ground. Vast tracts of land have been inundated in Chaygaon, Nagarberra, Goroimari and Boko as water of rivers Kulsi, Jaljanli, Singra, Kolohi and Brahmaputra gushed in following heavy rains in neighbouring Meghalaya, Deputy Commissioner J Balaji said.
Road communications along National Highway 37, flooded in various places, have been disrupted and a concrete bridge between Nagarbera and Hekra was washed away, he said.
Medicines have been dispatched to the flood-hit areas.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi held an emergency meeting with senior officials during the day on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and directed the authorities concerned to take all-out measures to deal with the situation, CMO officials said.