Assam Flood situation remains grim, 96 dead, over 28 lakh people affected
Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam is still remains grim and affected 28 lakh people in 26 districts, while the death toll rising to 96 as three more persons were killed on Friday officials said.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said that of the 28 lakh people currently affected, over 18.34 lakh are only in the state’s five western districts of Goalpara (470,183), Barpeta (461,184), Morigaon (375,250), Dhubri (278,041) and South Salmara (249,423).
The officials said that the floods had claimed 96 lives so far in Kokrajhar, Kamrup (Metro), Baksa, South Salmara, Darrang, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Morigaon, Dhubri, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Udalguri, Goalpara and Dibrugarh districts, while 26 others were killed in separate landslides since May 22.
The floods, triggered by heavy rains, have affected 2,543 villages and also inundated 122,573 hectares of crop area in 26 districts and damaged 30,605 houses partially and completely.
The district administrations have set up around 500 relief camps and distribution centres in 26 districts, where around 50,200 people have taken shelter.
Of the 26 affected districts, worst districts are — Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, Morigaon, South Sakmara, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Darrang, Nalbari, Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup (Rural), Nagaon, Golaghat, Majuli, and Bongaigaon.
Forest Department officials said that at least 125 wild animals have died in floods and 153 rescued even as over 85 per cent of the 430 sq km, world-famous Kaziranga National Park, home to more than 2,200 one-horned Indian rhinoceros, remained flooded. The animals that have perished in the deluge include 12 rhinos, 93 hog deer, eight wild boars, five wild buffaloes, and three porcupines.
Around 14 lakh domesticated animals and over 8 lakh poultry birds were affected. Besides Kaziranga National Park, located on edge of the eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots of Golaghat and Nagaon districts, the Manas, R.G. Orang and Tinsukia national parks, the Pabitora and Tinsukia wildlife sanctuaries were also affected.
A total of 16 National Disaster Response Force teams and many teams of State Disaster Response Force, along with the local administration, are continuously working to rescue affected people and render relief services, including distribution of necessary material to the marooned villagers.
