Guwahati: The Assam flood situation turned devastating today (July 12, 2004) with vast tracts of human habitation and cropland getting submerged as the State continued to remain cut off even as the Government estimated a Rs 1000 crore loss of public assets and infrastructure.

Lower Assam areas, particularly in Barpeta and Nalbari districts, continued to be worst-affected as lakhs of flood victims including infants and women were forced to stay on the elevated stretch of national highways under the open skies.

With the Government unable to reach relief materials due to overtopping of national highways by more than five feet of water, the situation has turned worse for the 25 lakh people affected by flood.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi making a statement in the State Assembly, which postponed its Budget session by a week, to enable legislators to visit affected areas, said current flood damage to public assets and infrastructure will be not be less than Rs 1000 crore though detailed assessment could not be made yet.

The Chief Minister mentioned that the situation had worsened with the sudden surge of flood waters due to breach of dams in Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan where damage to the Kurisho river dam had led to high inflow of water in Barpeta, Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon districts.

Gogoi said the State was "facing unprecedented floods with most of the districts badly affected" and 58 embankments breached of which 24 were major. The official toll in the calamity remained at 13 with no fresh deaths reported today.