Assam: 2 dead, over 3.63 lakh residents in 21 districts affected by floods
Forty-four relief camps have been opened where 1,619 people, including 321 children, are taking shelter.
Two people have died and over 3.63 lakh residents adversely affected in 21 districts of Assam by the floods, the State Disaster Management Authority said on Monday.
The disaster management body said that one person each died Barpeta and Morigaon districts. Lakhimpur was the worst-affected district, where 1.30 lakh residents, including 14,868 children, were temporarily displaced.
Crop on 30,333 hectares land was destroyed in the floods, which have hit 950 villages, a bulletin released by the State Disaster Management Authority said. As many as 170 villages were inundated in Barpeta district, followed by 155 in Lakhimpur and 147 in Morigaon.
The bulletin said that 44 relief camps have been opened where 1,619 people, including 321 children, were taking shelter. The authorities have distributed 621.34 quintals of rice, dal and salt, 578.82 litres of mustard oil and 100 quintals of cattle fodder.
Over 2,56,144 animals have been affected by the floods, but 1,056 of them have been rescued.
The state forest department said that two one-horned rhino habitats situated in Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary have been partially submerged, reported The Hindu.
Kaziranga Director P. Sivakumar said: “About 70% of the park has been inundated and 125 of the 223 anti-poaching camps have been submerged, but the water level has been receding in the last few hours.”
On Sunday, the police in Assam had ordered rerouting of goods carriages due to the flooding in Kaziranga, which had led to animals migrating from the park to the hills of Karbi Anglong district.
The bulletin said that roads were damaged in Barpeta, Darrang, Golghat, Morigaon, Nagaon and Sivasagar districts. Other infrastructure damage was reported from Lakhimpur, Morigaon and Tinsukia districts.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that he spoke to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about the floods and took stock of the situation. “Assured all possible support from the Centre to help mitigate the situation,” Modi tweeted. “I pray for the safety and well-being of those living in the affected areas.”
The Central Water Commission said in its report that the Brahmaputra river was flowing in “above normal to severe flood situations” in Sonitpur, Jorhat, Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, and Dhubri districts, reported PTI.
The report said that various tributaries of the river were also flowing in “above normal to severe flood situations”. “Kushiyara river in Karimganj are flowing in above normal flood situation,” it added.