Assam flood remains grim with heavy rain resulting in water level rise, around 6.5 lakh affected
Guwahati (PTI): The flood situation in Assam remained very critical on Wednesday as continuous rain led to a rise in water levels in many parts of the state and inundation in new areas, officials said.
Seven rivers, including the Brahmaputra, were flowing above the danger level, even as the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in the state.
Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar, Goalpara and Kokrajhar are likely to witness thunderstorms with lightning and gusty wind with a speed of 30-40 kmph, it added.
A report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Tuesday night said that six more people lost their lives in Hailakandi, Sribhumi, Morigaon, Cachar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia districts, and around 6.5 lakh people were affected by the deluge across 21 districts.
The total number of people losing their lives in this year's floods and landslides has increased to 17.
"Heavy rain is taking place in several lower Assam districts since early morning. Many places in Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Goalpara and Baksa have been affected," an ASDMA official said.
Altogether 6,33,114 people in 69 revenue circles and 1,506 villages in 21 districts remained affected by floods.
The worst-hit district is Sribhumi with 2,31,536 people hit by the deluge, followed by Nagaon with 99,819 flood-hit population and Cachar with 89,344.
Altogether, 223 relief camps are operational, providing shelter to 39,746 displaced people, while another 288 relief distribution centres are also functional.
Seven rivers were flowing above the danger level, including the Katakhal overtopping its highest flood level at Matizuri in Hailakandi district.
The Brahmaputra river was also flowing above the danger level at several locations.
Road, railway and ferry services have been disrupted at various places across the state.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
