Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam remained critical with three more persons perishing, taking the toll to 29 in the current deluge even as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh made an aerial survey on Saturday of the affected areas.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said one person each died at Kalgachia in Barpeta district, Dalgaon in Darrang district and Lakhipur in Goalpara district.
"I did not imagine that the situation is so grave. I have spoken to the Chief Minister and his officials. The problem is a big challenge," Singh told a press conference after making an aerial view of flood-hit Morigaon, Nagaon and Kaziranga.
"The state government currently has Rs 620 crore under SDRF. I have asked them to spend it without any hesitation. If more fund is needed, we are there and we will help in every possible way," he said.
Around 36-37 lakh people across 28 districts have been affected by the floods, Singh said after a meeting with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and other state government officials.
Sonowal said 970 relief camps have been opened in which around five lakh people have taken shelter.
"This time the floods are very severe. Hundreds of villages have completely been washed away. Schools, roads, embankments have been either washed away or badly damaged. We are sincerely trying to help the people with our all resources," he said.
The worst-affected districts are Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Goalpara, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon and Sonitpur.
ASDMA said nearly two lakh hectares of crop area across the state are under flood waters, while a number of roads, embankments, bridges and other infrastructure were washed away.
Currently, Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Guwahati, Nematighat in Jorhat, Tezpur in Sonitpur, Goalpara and Dhubri towns.
Its tributaries Burhidehing is flowing above danger level at Khowang in Dibrugarh, Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat, Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur, Puthimari at NH Road Crossing in Kamrup, Beki at Road Bridge in Barpeta and Sankosh at Golakganj in Dhubri, ASDMA said.
Later in the evening, Kaliabor Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) Madhumita Bhagawati has been placed under suspension for causing "enormous embarrassment to the state government."
An official release said, "This photograph was sent to the official Whatsapp group by SDO (Civil) Kaliabor sub-division, under whose jurisdiction a part of Kaziranga falls. It has now being brought to the notice of the state government that this photograph does not belong to the current Kaziranga floods."
"The Government desires to make it clear that any irresponsible act of any government official will not be tolerated," it said.
Meanwhile, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) Chief Executive Officer Dipak Kumar Sarma said in a statement that the "error is regretted and has been rectified."
In the Interim Flood Report submitted to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit today, a 'pictorial error' has occurred inadvertently showing photograph of rescue of a spotted deer, which is not related to Assam flood, he added.
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