June 17, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 16, 1424

GUWAHATI, June 16: Villagers scrambled to higher ground or crowded into government buildings after floods in northeast India left about 300,000 people homeless, officials said on Monday.

The flooding, caused by seasonal monsoon rains, destroyed or damaged homes in around 300 villages in the remote state of Assam and washed away roads, bridges and rail tracks.

Villagers in small wooden boats paddled across large swaths of flooded land to rescue their belongings, including livestock.

“Local government officials have started distributing food and relief materials like medicines to the affected people,” Assam Water Resources Minister Nurjamal Sarkar told Reuters.

Last year, floods in Assam killed 100 people and left 2.5 million of its 26 million people homeless.

Central Water Commission officials said they were bracing for more floods as bloated rivers like the Brahmaputra, which runs through the state, continued rising above the danger levels.

Meteorologists said they expected further rainfall in the next 48 hours.—Reuters