NEW DELHI, 23 Jun: About 17,500 people have been rescued till now from the flood-affected areas of Assam, the NDRF said on Thursday.
Of these, 900 were rescued on Thursday, a spokesperson of the National Disaster Response Force stated in an update issued at 5 pm.
The official said that a total of 26 NDRF teams are operating in 14 flood-affected districts of the state and they are working in coordination with the state authorities.
NDRF teams started rescue and relief operations from 16 June in Assam, and so far nine lives have been saved, while about 17,500 persons have been taken out from far-flung marooned areas, along with 32 livestock, the spokesperson said.
The federal force is also helping local administrations in distribution of relief materials, he said.
The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday with over 54.5 lakh people still affected and 12 fresh deaths reported, officials said.
The toll due to the flood since mid-May is now 101, they said.
The Brahmaputra and the Barak rivers along with their tributaries are in spate in most of the affected districts, and vast tracts of land remain inundated in 32 of the total 36 districts in the state. The floodwaters, however, receded in a few places. (PTI)