Overall flood situation in the State has improved a little today with the improvement in the weather condition. However, the water levels of the rivers are receding at a very slow rate, said sources in the Water Resources Department (WRD). The National Highway 31, which is under the floodwaters of the Puthimari river since Sunday last, is yet to be opened for vehicular traffic beyond the Puthimari Natun Bazar point. The condition of the river island Majuli is still worse as the floodwaters of the Subansiri and the Brahmaputra, which entered the island through the Kherkatia channel, are yet to drain out. The threat posed by the Brahmaputra to the Bohori-Pazarbhanga area in Barpeta district is yet to subside, as the mighty river is still flowing about 1.4 metre above danger level in that area. According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger level (DL) at Dibrugarh (1.17 metre), Neamatighat (0.47 metre), Tezpur (0.33 metre), Guwahati (0.16 metre) and Dhubri (0.94 metre) at 3 pm today. Similarly, the Jia-Bharali was found flowing above the DL (0.65 metre) at NT Road Crossing, Puthimari above the DL (0.41 metre) at NH Road Crossing, and Kushiyara above DL (0.06 metre) at Karimganj during that time, said the CWC flood bulletin. At Guwahati and Dhubri, the Brahmaputra was maintaining a steady trend, while at other three stations it was maintaining a falling trend. The Jia-Bharali was maintaining a rising trend at NT Road Crossing and both the Puthimari and the Kushiyara were maintaining a falling trend, said the CWC bulletin. State Water Resources Department sources here said that the Nona in Kamrup district was also flowing above DL, with the Pagladiya in Nalbari district and the Pahumara, the Beki and the Manas in Barpeta district flowing in the same manner. Though the Brahmaputra is yet to touch the danger mark at Goalpara, it is maintaining a rising trend there, said the WRD sources. The civil administration of Majuli sub-division today issued 4.037.67 quintals of rice and 400.31 quintals of dal for the four of the 20 flood-affected Gaon Panchayats (GPs). These items will be distributed among the flood victims tomorrow. Almost equal quantity of foodstuff will be provided to four more GPs tomorrow and the process will continue to cover all the affected GPs, said SDO (Civil) of Majuli Pramod Chandra Deka, adding the second round of distribution of relief items started with this issue today. He also informed this newspaper that there was no report of outbreak of any contagious disease from any part of the island. Our Correspondents report: Barpeta: Most of the Barpeta district rivers are flowing above the danger mark, with the Brahmaputra flowing 1.40 metre above the red mark at the time of filing this report. Though the Pahumara and the Beki are maintaining a rising trend, Manas,Kaldia and Bhelengi are maintaining a falling trend. The breaches in the embankments of the Mora Chaulkhowa, Bhelengi and Kaldia have made life miserable for over two lakhs of people. However, the embankment of the Brahmaputra at Bohori-Pazarbhanga has so for been able to sustain the impact of the rising mighty river. The administration is maintaining a strict vigil over the developments at the site on a round-the-clock basis. The embankment of the Pahumara at Rajakhat and Kardoiguri has become vulnerable to erosion as, more than two-third of the embankment surface at these places has been eroded away by the river. The Beki has eroded the Barpeta Road-Bansbari Road at Sabakamar, while theKalgachia-Sarbhog Road has faced a similar fate at Bardonga. One approach road to the Pahumara RCC bridge at Kordoiguri and both the approach roads to the RCC bridge at Dumni over the Beki have been eroded. The floodwaters of the Tihu, Kaldia and Burhadiya have also been causing damages at various places extensively by breaching agricultural bund and roads in the interior areas. It is feared that for the next six months surface communication will become a major problem for the people of many areas of the district. Rangiya: There was a little improvement in the overall flood situation in Rangiya sub-division today due to a little fall in the water level of the Puthimari. However, the Puthimari, which has changed its course, has submerged new areas, that had no record of facing floods in the recent times. The Puthimari flood has claimed of two human lives. These areas include Dimu, Kaniha, Kendukona (some parts), Chanmaguri and Kartakhat. Floodwater is yet to recede in these areas. Though some light vehicles were seen crossing the overtopped portion of the NH-31 during the daytime today, the Highway is yet to be opened for vehicular traffic formally by the authorities. SDO (Civil) of the sub-division Bharat Bhushan Dev Choudhury told this correspondent over phone this evening that the flood situation in the sub-division was improving and relief operations were also continuing in the affected areas. The rehabilitation of the villagers of those villages completely devastated by the flood may take some time, he said, adding that for restoration of road communication via NH-31, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been contacted and it is expected that from tomorrow afternoon onwards the road would be opened for vehicular traffic, he said. Dergaon, Sept 5