MIRZA: The success story of banana cultivation and the huge plot of land under banana by a youth of Dhangargaon area in Kamrup district has become a source of inspiration for his fellow villagers.

Samudra Gupta Kashyap

GUWAHATI, SEPTEMBER 7: With the rain gods taking a holiday on Sunday after a gap of nearly a month, the overall flood situation in Assam looked slightly better though nearly 14 lakh people across the state continued to reel under water, with the Brahmaputra and several of its tributaries flowing above the red mark at several points.

33,700 people altogether, have been evacuated to safer places by the authorities with the Army providing vital back-up with manpower and equipment, while 20,350 people continued to be accommodated in 134 relief camps across the state.

Sushanta Talukdar

Majuli remains worst hit as level of flood water continues to rise
Vast tracts of land, standing crops destroyed
Thousands continue to take shelter in relief camps

Guwahati: Over ten lakh people have been affected by floods in Assam with the situation in Majuli turning critical on Tuesday as the level of flood water continued to rise alarmingly due to incessant rainfall . Floods have so far claimed 15 lives in the State since June 1.

The Disaster Management Cell of the Kamrup (M) district organised a daylong workshop on disaster management for the corporate officials of Guwahati here recently.

The workshop, organised for the first time for corporate houses, was inaugurated by VK Pipersania, Principal Secretary, Revenue & DM Department. He laid stress on basic knowledge of disaster management to corporate houses, especially in a city like Guwahati, which comes under the most vulnerable zone for earthquake.

N Hazatika, State Programme Officer, DRM was also present on the occasion.

SUALKUCHI - State Agriculture Minister Pramila Brahma inaugurated the seed village programme on July 1 at Kayatol under Sarulah Agriculture Extension circle of Kamrup district. Addressing the inaugural ceremony Brahma called upon the farmers to take advantage of the scheme and implement the programme so that they could increase their production. She also called upon the officers to inspire the cultivators and help them in their fields.

Petrol pumps in the greater Guwahati area will remain closed for 24 hours from 5 am of July 9 in protest against the move of the oil companies to phase out normal petrol and replace the same with the premium brand, which is costlier. The Greater Guwahati Unit of the North East India Petroleum Dealers' Association, in a release, said that as the next phase of agitation, the petrol pumps of Guwahati would stop purchasing any petroleum product from the oil companies for three days with effect from July 12.

Guwahati Mechanical Division of the Water Resources Department (WRD) is engaged in resectioning of the Bharalu and the Mora Bharalu rivers since February last at an estimated cost of Rs 1.3 crore under a Guwahati Development Department (GDD)-sponsored scheme. Sources in the WRD said that removal of silt from the Bharalu is completed in its reach between the Jonali PWD RCC Bridge on the RG Baruah Road and Bishnupur behind the Arya Vidyapeeth College. Between Bishnupur and Bharalumukh, the riverbed below the bridges over the river too has been cleaned..

"Assam, till June this year, has recorded only 64 deaths caused by malaria, which is the lowest in the last one decade. Of the 64 deaths, 34 have been reported from Karbi Anglong. Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma disclosed this before mediapersons today, asserting that the State would soon manage to bring the figure further down. While the total number of malaria deaths in 2006 was 304, in 2007 the same dropped to 152, Sarma said adding that the Kamrup district registered just one death till this point of time.

Manav Sarathi, a voluntary organisation, launched its Greening India programme at Tetelia LP School, Dimoria Block of Kamrup (M) district on the occasion of World Environment Day. Addressing the inaugural function, Dr Manjushree Pathak, president of the organisation, said that the project Greening India is meant for the benefit of rural people of the Dimoria Block and is also designed to create environmental awareness and to promote ecological balance in the area.

HOJAI