ITAKHOLA, Sept 24: The water-level of river Jia Bhoroli is crossing the danger-mark level following heavy shower during last 72 hours, which has affected atleast 10 villages of North Jamuguri area among them Chamdhara, Mornakuri, Ghahigaon, Dekachuk, Cheunichik were badly affected by the wave of floods of river Jia Bhoroli. The river Jia Bhoroli breached its Chamdhara-Nabill embankment at Chamdhara which was constructed under the DRDA project in 1985, causing serious flood situation for the consecutive second time at North Jamuguri area. It can be mentioned here that before two months at least 20 families took shelter at Chamdhara Panigaon LP School. On the other hand, the 1,200 metre Chamdhara-Dafallagarh stone dam has been completed with the Central fund of Rs 1.88 lakh. This would not help the local people in future because in some places the dam has been completely damaged for not making soil embankment beside the stone dam.

GUWAHATI, Sept 22: The June and August floods have destroyed all their dreams, leaving an indelible mark of destruction on them and their surroundings. For, they lost everything, including their standing crops and paddy fields.

The otherday, they were peasants. Today, they are either daily wage labourers, or, fire wood vendors. Some of them have opted for fishing to eke out a livelihood on some occasions. Tomorrow beckons them with a portent of more privation.

With their homes and hearths and the fertile paddy fields, floods have also robbed them of their privacy. Staying in barrack-like structures on the E & D dyke, the womenfolk are forced to sacrifice the seclusion which adorned their womenhood till the otherday.

In brief, the above is the pen picture of the condition of the flood-hit people of Rangiya Sub-division, with slight variations.

Sri Jainur Ali (49), a resident of Udiana and a teacher of Bahrampur Hatbajali L P School, told this correspondent on September 16 that 90 per cent of the peasants of the village have lost their standing crops in the August 3 flood caused by the Nona.

Udiana, an Assamese speaking Muslim dominated village, disected by the NH 31, on the western fringe of Rangiya town, has a population of about 10,000. About 80 per cent of the Udiana people live on agriculture-related activities and 50 per cent of them are sharecroppers (aadhiyar). All these Udiana peasants till about 4,000 bighas of land located in Pachim-Pathar, Pub-Pathar, Bhatkuchi Pathar and Tarakuchi Pathar.

Though, about 10 per cent of the Udiana peasants tried to retransplant what had remained of their seedlings after the recession of flood water, since August 16 last, around August 20 flood waters again submerged the paddy fields. Today, the peasants of the village have only 30 to 40 bighas of standing paddy crops left to them in their paddy fields, Sri Jainur Ali said.

According to Sri Hareswar Barman, president of the Banakrantar Samannoyrakshi Samiti (Co-ordination Committee of the Flood-hit People) and Sri Achyut Kalita, general secretary of the Samiti, the only way out to prevent a famine in Rangiya Sub-division in the coming days, is to encourage the peasants, with all assistance, to engage themselves in Boro paddy and rabi crop cultivation as soon as the flood waters recede.

GUWAHATI, Sept 21: "God, save our students, who are the citizens of tomorrow",-- said the teachers whom this correspondent met recently in the flood-ravaged Rangiya areas.

Soaked in grief and anger, these teachers narrated the sorry state of affairs at the schools of Rangiya sub-division, which was severely affected by two waves of floods this year.

They are now aggrieved with the alleged indifference of the administration to provide succour to the flood-affected schools and said that about 100 LP schools, 50 ME schools, 25 High Schools and 15 Higher Secondary Schools in Rangiya Sub-division were affected by the floods and most of these LP and ME Schools were almost damaged.

About 38,000 students of these schools lost their regular classes in an irreparable manner as in most of the cases their classes could not be held in their school premises. Cases are there where classes are being held under make shift structures and worst still, even in cowsheds.

All the appeals of the school authorities and the people of the flood-hit areas for measures to provide assistance to erect new school buildings or to repair the damaged portions of the school buildings, fell on deaf ears as the administration has allegedly remained arrogant.

Meanwhile, the State Education Department has instructed all the Inspectors of Schools and the District Elementary Education Officers to complete the annual and test examinations on or before November 15 next in view of the ensuing panchayat election.

According to Prof Osman Gani, Head of the Department, Arabic, Rangiya College, Suren Kalita, teacher, Pragati High School, Khagen Rajbongshi, assistant teacher, K B Deulkuchi Higher Secondary School, Abdus Sattar, subject teacher (Arabic), Jawaharlal Nehru HS School, Kendukona and Jamiruddin Ahmed, Head Master, Bihapara, Tatarkuchi, Chirakhundi (BTC) ME School, about 25,000 students of Rangiya Sub-division, affected by the floods, will have to appear in the annual examinations in November next.

About 1,000 of the flood-affected students of the Sub-division will have to appear in the ensuing High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Examination, while about 3,000 of such students in the Sub-division will have to appear in the Higher Secondary (HS) first and second year finals, the teachers said, adding, the deadlines for completing the courses are seemed to be hard to be maintained.

Though for the past few days, some schools have started holding the classes in their own premises, the atmosphere there is far from being conducive, the teachers maintained.

This correspondent visited the Bagaribari village on September 16. The area is one of the worst flood-hit areas of Rangiya Sub-division. Two waves of flood caused by the turbulent Puthimari on June 22 and August 2 last hit the village. All the 92 families of the village were affected by the floods and they are now taking shelter on the E&D dyke (right side), which is also in a precarious state.

The two chuburis, i.e. localities, -- No. 1 Bagaribari and No 2 Bagaribari, of the village, are now geographically separated by the Puthimari, which has now opened a new passage to join the Baralia near Malacha, a few kilometres north west of Bagaribari. The only mode of communication between the two chuburis is a country boat provided by the administration.

Three schools -- No. 92 Bagaribari LP School, Bagaribari Jnanodoy ME School and No 2 Bagaribari-Kuropar LP School were washed away by the floods. About 290 of the village children are school students, about 20 of them are high school students and they read either in the Deulkuchi Higher Secondary School or in the Kelengchak Nijkaurbaha Nabamilan High School.

All the flood-hit LP and ME Schools of the village are now running under make-shift structures in a deplorable condition. Villagers alleged that when on August 19 last they approached State Education Minister Thaneswar Boro, who is also the local MLA, the Minister instructed the civil administration to provide 60 pieces and 50 pieces of CI sheets to No 92 Bagaribari LP School and No 2 Bagaribari-Kuropar LP School respectively. But, the civil administration refused to abide by the Minister's instruction and asked the flood-hit people to arrange for the CI sheets from the pieces they received to erect their camps, even though the villagers are not in a position now to shift to their localities, the villagers said.

IMPHAL, Sept 21: Due to incessant rainfall in the last two to three days in the State, hundreds of houses in Bishnupur and Thoubal districts have been affected by flood. Reports reaching here said that at least seven villages in Moirang area in Bishnupur district and some lowlying areas around the Loktak lake have been inundated by the overflowing water from the lake due to torrential rains. Hundreds of residential premises were also submerged. The flood-effected people have started to move towards safe places along with their belongings. Most of the residents of Moirang area were reported to be taking shelter in the nearby areas where their friends and relatives live.

The worst-affected places are Moirang Konjengbam, Moirang Patirou, Moirang Phairembam, Mayai Leikai, Moirang Thana and Moirang Nung jeng etc. House built along the tourist site Sendra road in Moirang have also been inundated. Besides the human habitation, the flood has also affected 200 acres of standing crops in paddy fields and around 100 fish farms. The residents of the Moirang have appealed to the authority concerned to take up essential relief measures and release the water through the Ithai barrage at once so that the extent of damage is leassened to a certain degree. Meanwhile, the volunteers of the Joint Action Committee Moirang are rendering service and assistance to the flood-affected residents. The committee also opened flood relief camps at different localities. Another source also revealed that water overflowing from the Loktak lake has flooded more than "620" houses and 900 of paddy land in Arong Khunou, Arong Khunjao and Arong Nongmaikhong and Yari Khunjao areas.

BOKO, Sept 18: Flood situation in South Kamrup from Chhaygaon to Nagarbera continues to be grim. Atleast five hundred families have been rendered homeless by the current wave of floods. The flood waters have submerged vast areas of human habitation, educational institutions, offices, market places and paddy fields. Erosion on different routes have disrupted communication. Many educational institutions have remained closed for the last one month. Situation in Chamaria revenue circle especially in Soutoli mouza is very critical. Goroimari char, Lotoria, Pallimangal, Garurchar, Saru Arikati, Sontoli, Mahtoli, Malibari, Dekasang, Duramari, Kismat Kathmi and Niz-Kathomi of Sontoli mauza are reeling under flood waters. A newly-built concrete bridge near Kalatoli was swept away last month causing total disruption of communication. Chamaria, a famous Vaisnavite satra of South Kamrup is also reeling under flood waters. Fifty families in Trilochan area of the same revenue circle are also badly affected by floods. Vast areas of paddy fields have already been damaged.