Assam flood situation grim; death toll at 71, 40 lakh affected


Guwahati, Jul 16 (IANS): Amid the rising COVID-19 cases, the flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday, as five more deaths were reported from four districts, taking the death toll due to the deluge to 71, while around 40 lakh people across 27 of the state's 33 districts have been affected.

According to officials of forest department and Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), at least 76 animals were killed, while 121 animals were rescued as 95 per cent of the world-famous Kaziranga national park, home to more than 2,200 one-horned Indian rhinoceros, was inundated.

An ASDMA official said that over the past more than a month, 71 deaths due to the floods were reported from Sonitpur, Biswanath, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Morigaon, Tinsukia, Dhubri, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Udalguri, Goalpara and Dibrugarh districts, while 26 others have been killed in separate landslides since May 22.

The officials said that more than seven rivers, including the mighty Brahmaputra, are flowing above the danger mark in many places in more than 12 districts.

Quoting reports from the districts, they said that the floodwater has submerged 3,218 villages, affecting around 40 lakh people and 131,368 hectares of crop area in 27 districts.

The District Administrations have set up 748 relief camps and distribution centres in 25 districts, where around 50,000 men, women and children have taken shelter.

Though the flood affected 27 districts, 23 - Dhemaji, Udalguri, Darrang, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Baksa, Lakhimpur, Chirang, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Majuli, Dibrugarh, West Karbi Anglong, Karbi Anglong and Tinsukia - are the worst-hit. Besides erosion of river banks at a large number of places, roads, embankments, bridges, culverts and other infrastructure have been damaged at many locations in 27 districts, the ASDMA officials said, adding that several hundred houses were fully or partially damaged due to the flood.

Around 22 lakh domesticated animals and over 14 lakh poultry birds were affected due to floodwater.

Apart from Kaziranga national park, located on the edge of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots of Golaghat and Nagaon districts, the Manas and R.G. Orang national parks, the Pabitora wildlife and the Tinsukia wildlife sanctuaries were also affected.

The National Disaster Response Force, and State Disaster Response Force personnel, along with the local administration, are continuously working to rescue the affected people and render relief services, including distribution of necessary material to the marooned villagers.

 

  

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Comment on this article

  • Santan Mascarenhas, Kinnigoli/Bangalore

    Fri, Jul 17 2020

    Flood is an every year affair in Assam. Last year in between July 14 and 18, I was in Assam, that time also there was flood, but lesser than this year. There was water everywhere and one could travel only on vehicles having larger tyres, since roads were submerged with water. Since, the roads are at a higher level, almost all the animals such as cows, goats and dogs were on the road, the sight of which I never seen anywhere in India and the countries I visited. We went to Bhutan from Udalgiri and no passport was asked at the border, though we were carrying them. All rivers in Assam and the biggest Brahmapura, are flooded not from the rain in Assam, but from the water from rain and other that flows from Bhutan that has mountains as high as Himalayas.

    In Udalgiri, no one fills the petrol there, but they fill inside Bhutan petrol pump. Petrol is around Rs 60 per litre, which is supplied to Bhutan by India at around Rs 50. Liquor and meals are cheaper in Bhutan. People of Assam and Bhutan are very friendly, but I felt to be quite poor and hardworking. I think pork is the highly consumed meat in Assam. Assam definitely needs govt help to survive.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Fri, Jul 17 2020

    Luckily this is a BJP Internal Matter ...

    DisAgree [1] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Bhavya Baliga, Udupi

    Thu, Jul 16 2020

    Why is our Young Turk silent and not helping?

    DisAgree [3] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Assam flood situation grim; death toll at 71, 40 lakh affected



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