Majuli ferry stays suspended, 150 rescued from sandbar

JORHAT: Ferry services to and from Majuli island, CM Sarbananda Sonowal's constituency, remained suspended for the third day on Saturday even as 150 villagers were trapped after the rising waters of the Brahmaputra led to a sandbar being submerged. They were stuck for four hours before being rescued by a state disaster response force (SDRF) team.

The situation on the island has also worsened, with 7,000 more people and seven more villages being affected in 12 hours.

According to a central water commission report, the Brahmaputra was flowing about 2 metres above the danger mark at Neematighat on Saturday.

Around 7 am, villagers residing in Bhakat Chapori, a sandbar in the Brahmaputra, found themselves trapped due to the sudden rising of the river's water level and did not get a chance to use their country boats to get to safety. "The flood victims were rescued by an SDRF team and shifted to a relief camp at Karatipar. There was no casualty in the incident," deputy commissioner (Majuli) Debaprasad Misra said.

The ferry service between Majuli and Jorhat, which is used by at least 500 people a day, remained cut off for the third consecutive day. Three bus services are being run from Neematighat to Majuli via Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji and Gogamukh and 150 passengers used them to get to Majuli on Saturday.

A report by the Majuli administration stated that the number of people affected by floods in the district has gone up to 66,128 in 77 villages on Saturday from 59,164 in 70 villages on Friday. Three relief camps have been set up at Kharjanpar lower primary school, Karatipar gaon panchyat office and Karatipar high school and more than 300 people are taking shelter there. 69 relief distribution centres have also been opened.

The situation remained grim in Jorhat district as well, with over 24,000 people in 61 villages being affected by the floods.