Incessant rain in several districts of Assam has increased the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

Dhemaji district was the worst hit, with road and rail traffic cut off for nearly a week and several villages submerged despite the water receding, officials said.

The district administration has provided shelter to the affected in four relief camps and 120 temporary shelters. Food and medical relief is also being provided.

The army has been asked to repair damaged bridges and the North Eastern Frontier Railway is working round the clock to clear the tracks.

Over 40,000 people in 120 villages in Dhemaji were marooned in the wake of a breach in the embankment of the Kumotia river, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra.

Vast tracts of land were also inundated in Lakhimpur district after heavy rainfall and road communication was snapped in several places.

The level of the Barak river also rose, inundating vast areas in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts.

Nine districts have been affected by the floods. They are Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Darrang, Morigaon, Sonitpur and Barpeta.