Over a lakh have been affected due to the floods in the plain belt of West Garo Hills in Meghalaya, the area District Collector Ram Singh said. Five people have lost their lives. The area has witnessed a surge in water levels since the last one week, with most areas submerged under the flood, caused by the backflow of the Brahmaputra river. As many as 175 villages have been affected by the flood, he added. With over 1,70,000 people affected by the floods, the district administration has set up 22 relief camps. The government has promised an ex gratia payment to the family members of those who lost their lives in the floods.