Assam towns threatened by floods

The flood situation in the north-east Indian state of Assam worsened on Thursday as the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries continued to overflow.

Nearly two million people have been affected.

At least 15 people have been swept away by the flooded rivers and tens of thousands of people have been made homeless, officials say.

Monsoon waters have also been causing havoc in India's Bihar state, as well as in Nepal and Bangladesh.

Towns at risk

The BBC's Subir Bhaumik in Calcutta says the Brahmaputra is threatening several towns along its course in Assam.

It was flowing above the danger level in Dibrugarh, Tezpur, Dhubri, Jorhat and Assam's capital, Guwahati.

The state's lifeline to the rest of the country - National Highway Number 31 - has also been cut off by floodwater.

Local government spokesman, Dinesh Deka, said Majuli - Asia's largest river island - was nearly entirely submerged.

Nearly 170 villages are under waist-deep water, he said. Several "satras", traditional monasteries crucial to Assam's culture, are at risk.

The army is continuing to help the state government by providing relief to the affected people across the state, Mr Deka said.

The situation in the Kaziranga National Park, famed for its one-horned rhinos, is also critical with more than 50% of the park area under flood waters.

Animals are taking shelter on high platforms constructed within the park.

Bihar

Bihar has been worst hit by floods in India this summer.

Monsoon rains caused the river Kosi to change course, severely affecting areas not normally prone to floods.

Water levels are now subsiding, and officials say efforts to rescue flood victims have entered a "final and crucial" stage.

Officials say up to 80,000 people still need to be rescued from "six critical areas" in the districts of Sepaul and Madhepura.

More than 650,000 have already been rescued from affected areas. More than 90 people have died.

The authorities in Bihar have been criticised for failing to rescue flood victims well over a week after the scale of the flooding became apparent.

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