GUWAHATI: More than 3.9 lakh people are battling floods in Assam

Guwahati: Over 3.90 lakh people are marooned in floodwaters in Assam while the overall situation remains grim, officials said on Saturday. Though the flood situation has improved marginally in some parts of the state as rains have eased, 19 districts are still affected, they said. The death toll in floods, landslides and storms this year has risen to 37, while one person is missing, officials said. As of Friday evening, a total of 3,90,491 people have been affected in Kamrup, Tamulpur, Hailakandi, Udalguri, Hojai, Dhubri, Barpeta, Biswanath, Nalbari, Bongaigaon, Baksa, Karimganj, South Salmara, Goalpara, Darang, Bajali, Nagaon, Cachar and Kamrup Metropolitan districts. The number of affected people has marginally come down from 4.09 lakh on Thursday, though the number of flood-affected districts remained the same. Karimganj has been the worst-hit district, with over 2.40 lakh people affected. As per reports on Friday evening, major rivers flowing above the danger mark include Kopili in Kampur and Dharmatul, Barak in BP Ghat and Kushiyara in Karimganj. Over 100 relief camps sheltering over 15,000 people have been opened, while 125 other relief distribution centres are also functioning. Houses, cattle sheds, roads, bridges, embankments and other infrastructure have been affected or damaged in various districts, officials said.