‘Worst floods in decades’: 10 die as heavy rain continues in Assam, Kaziranga under water
The deluge in Bihar’s Katihar has cut off the lone rail link to the North Eastern region.
Ten people were killed in Assam on Sunday as heavy rain worsened the flood scenario in the state. The deluge has claimed 15 lives in the past four days and displaced more than 23 lakh people, reported NDTV.
The toll after the second wave of floods in the state has gone up to 99, Assam State Disaster Management Authority told PTI. At least 84 people had died in the floods in July. The authority warned that the situation is likely to worsen as the water level in the Brahmaputra and 10 other rivers was above the danger mark in at least 15 places.
The rail link to North East India from rest of the country has also been severed. At least 11 trains have been cancelled in the state because of heavy rainfall in Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said all possible support was being provided to control the floods.
NH-37, which is completely flooded, has cut off North Assam from the rest of the state. Over 80% of the Kaziranga National Park is also flooded.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who visited the flood-affected areas in Dibrugarh district on Sunday, has called the second wave of the deluge the “worst floods in decades”, reported the Hindustan Times. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called up Sonowal, and assured all possible help to the state government in handling the crisis, said an official government release.
“The situation is bad,” Assam Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia told The Indian Express. “Though the water level is receding slightly in North Assam, it rose throughout Sunday in Central and Lower Assam. The national highway is submerged in several places in Kaziranga and Kaliabor. We held a meeting with Army, Air Force and NDRF officers in Guwahati on Sunday and asked them to help whenever required.”
Floods in Bihar
Meanwhile, the deluge in Bihar’s Katihar has cut off the lone rail link to the North Eastern.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the north eastern part of Bihar is flooded because heavy rain in the upper reaches of Nepal had cause the water level in the Tapti and Mahananda rivers to rise. Nearly 320 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the state.
“The Centre is rushing additional NDRF teams to Bihar to help the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected region of the state,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted on Sunday.