The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Tuesday with the mighty Brahmaputra crossing the danger level in several places, including Guwahati, affecting over five lakh people in 11 districts.

Though the Brahmaputra was flowing steadily with a falling trend according to the Central Water Commission, the river had crossed danger level at Guwahati, Goalpara, Sibsagar, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Nimatighat, Naharkatia and Tezpur districts.

The deluge had spread to 11 districts submerging vast tracks of farm land and a large number of human habitations in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Dhubri, Goalpara and Barpeta districts, official sources said.

Following rains and heavy flow of water downstream along its course from Arunachal Pradesh, the swollen Brahmaputra in Guwahati had crossed the danger level of 49.68 metre by 20 cms, the CWC said.

With mud embankments broken in several places of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji, surface communication was disrupted as the roads were submerged, the sources said.

The current wave of floods has so far claimed two lives due to drowning this week in two separate places of lower Assam.

Over five lakh people reeling under the fury of the floods in more than 500 villages were sheltering on railway tracks, roads, raised areas, government schools and offices, the sources said.

Asia’s largest river island Majuli in Jorhat district was flooded following a breach in an embankment affecting thousands of people, the sources said.

The situation in Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat district and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district was alarming with the Brahmaputra inundating them.

Rhinoceros, pygmy hog and wild buffaloes among other animals have been forced to move to nearby highlands and raised concrete platforms constructed there for their shelter, they said.

Meanwhile, the affected people complained that they were not provided adequate food, tarpaulin sheets, clothes and water.

Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Bhumidhar Barman, however, said that the government was taking stock of essentials and other commodities.

The government had also sounded maximum alert and the disaster management teams were kept on standby for any eventuality, Barman said.