Flood-hit Assam celebrates Independence Day

Guwahati: Braving the devastating floods and defying the boycott call of the seven militant outfits, Assam on Tuesday celebrated Independence Day all across the state.

Assam Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal unfurled the national flag at the Veterinary College Ground at Khanapara and people came out in large numbers all over the state to celebrate the Independence Day.

Surrounded in waist-deep waters, four teachers and two students of a school in flood-hit Dhubri district of Western Assam made sure the Tricolour was hoisted. 

In a similar gesture, teachers and students observed Independence Day in flood-hit South Kamrup district schools. The photographs of Independence Day’s celebrations against all odds are also going viral on social media.

The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Tuesday as the second wave of deluge affected 25 of its 32 districts claiming 10 more lives, besides displacing 33 lakh people.

The Army was assisting the civil administration in rescue and relief operations as the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries were flowing above their danger levels snapping surface communications in many parts of the state.

Three persons died in Morigaon district, one each in Dhemaji, Darrang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Goalpara, Nagaon and Dibrugarh districts taking the toll to 28.

Meanwhile, the flood situation remained grim in Bihar, while absence of major downpour during the day led to slight improvement in West Bengal, even as the inundation of railway tracks led to cancellation, diversion and short termination of trains to Assam.

The toll in Bihar floods has risen to 56, with 69.81 lakh people being hit by inundation in 13 districts of the state. 

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh made his second aerial survey of flood-hit areas on Tuesday.