Early monsoonal rains have caused devastating floods in a number of areas of India over the past month. More than one million people have been affected—many have been cut off by floodwaters or made homeless. According to government officials, the death toll stood at 199 as of July 10. But there are fears that hunger and disease will spread among refugees who lack access to food, clean water and proper accommodation.
The worst-hit states are Assam and Bihar in the east of the country where rains have dangerously swelled the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. In Assam, around 18,000 villages have been affected by floodwaters and as many as 269 were completely submerged. Agricultural officials estimate that 150,000 hectares of paddy rice cultivation has been ruined.
The worst affected area is Dhemaji district, 465 km east of the state capital Guwahati, where at least 15,000 villages have been flooded and 550,000 people left homeless. The district has been cut off from the rest of the state for the past week and many wooden bridges and culverts have been damaged by floodwaters, disrupting road and rail transport.
The worst-hit states are Assam and Bihar in the east of the country where rains have dangerously swelled the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. In Assam, around 18,000 villages have been affected by floodwaters and as many as 269 were completely submerged. Agricultural officials estimate that 150,000 hectares of paddy rice cultivation has been ruined.
The worst affected area is Dhemaji district, 465 km east of the state capital Guwahati, where at least 15,000 villages have been flooded and 550,000 people left homeless. The district has been cut off from the rest of the state for the past week and many wooden bridges and culverts have been damaged by floodwaters, disrupting road and rail transport.