Monsoon floods displace 50,000 in north-east India

Aug 21, 2010, 10:16 GMT

New Delhi - Heavy monsoon rains triggered floods in India's north-eastern state of Assam on Saturday, displacing at least 50,000 people in the region. No casualties were reported.

A government spokesman told the IANS news agency that the Singora river had inundated at least 40 villages in the Lakhimpur district, 360 kilometres north-east of state capital Guwahati.

The floodwaters from Singora - a tributary of the Brahmaputra, among Asia's largest rivers - forced villagers from low-lying areas to take shelter on raised platforms and railway tracks.

'There has been a breach of about 20 to 30 metres in two embankments and that led to floodwaters entering human settlements,' a district official told the news agency.

'So far, there are no reports of casualties in the floods. Measures are being taken to plug the breaches in the mud embankments'.

Authorities had sounded an alert and had kept disaster management teams on standby. Agencies also stocked-up essential commodities for the flood victims.

In terms of population, Assam is generally among the worst-hit states affected by monsoon floods across India as surging floodwaters inundate large swathes across the state every year.

Meanwhile, disruptions were reported in national capital New Delhi, which was hit by heavy rains causing flooding on key roads setting off traffic jams across the metropolis.

The regional weather bureau said northern parts of India were experiencing heavy showers which would continue over next two days.

The Yamuna river had breached the danger-mark of 204.8 metres late Friday night and hundreds of people living in low-lying localities were evacuated.

Almost every year, monsoon-driven floods cause widespread destruction as overflowing rivers submerge villages and farmland. The monsoon season in India lasts from June to October.

According to the federal home ministry, nearly 550 people have died during the monsoon season across India so far. Nearly 4.1 million people, most of them living in rural areas, were affected across 20 states.