Over 22 lakh people displaced in flood-hit Assam; 8 more deaths reported

Guwahati: The floods continued to wreak havoc across Assam as lakhs of people were displaced and the death toll kept climbing. Eight more people lost their lives as the flood situation in Assam remained grim on Sunday, an official bulletin said. Two deaths each were reported from Dhubri and Nalbari, and one each from Cachar, Goalpara, Dhemaji and Sivsagar, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin said.

With this, the toll in this year's flood, landslide and storm increased to 78.  Altogether 22,74,289 people in 3,446 villages of 28 districts were affected by the flood. 

Dhubri continued to be the worst hit with 7,54,791 affected people, followed by Cachar with 1,77,928 people affected and Barpeta where 1,34,328 people have been hit. The number of affected people on Saturday was 23,96,648 in 29 districts.

A total of 269 relief camps were operating in the state, providing shelter to 53,689 people. Another 361 relief distribution centres are also functional, through which essential items were being provided to 3,15,520 people. 

Cropland of 68,432.75 hectares remained inundated, the ASDMA bulletin said. The Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger mark at Nematighat, Tezpur and Dhubri. Other rivers that have breached the red mark are Burhidihing in Khowang, Dikhou in Sivsagar, Disang in Nanglamuraghat, Dhansiri in Numaligarh, Kopili in DHaramtul, Beki in Barpeta, Sankosh in Golakganj, Barak in BP Ghat and Kushiyara in Karimganj.

Multiple agencies, including NDRF, SDRF and local administration, have been carrying out relief and rescue operations with 171 boats deployed in different parts of the state. Altogether, 70 people and 459 cattle were rescued in the last 24 hours by different agencies. 

A total of 214 big and small animals have been washed away by the flood waters in the last 24 hours, while a total of 15,63,426 animals have been affected. Damage to infrastructure has been reported from across the state, the ASDMA said.

129 animals died
A total of 129 wild animals have died so far at Assam's famed Kaziranga National Park due to the devastating flood, an official said on Sunday. Till Saturday, 114 had died in the devastating flood that has affected the entire Northeastern state. Among the dead animals are six rhinos, 100 hog deer, two sambar and an otter. Drowning was the main cause of the deaths, while two animals also died after being hit by vehicles when they were migrating to higher ground, the official said. The animals use a stretch of the NH-715 to cross over to the hills of Karbi Anglong. Twenty of these animals died during treatment, the official said.

So far, 96 animals have been rescued. Among them were 84 hog deer, two each of rhino, sambar and scops owl, and one each of swamp deer, hare, rhesus macaque, otter, elephant and jungle cat. At present, 26 animals are under medical care, while 50 others have been released after treatment, the official said. The park is experiencing the worst inundation in recent years. The last such devastation happened in 2017 when 350 animals died.

Of the total 233 camps in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, 68 were inundated till Friday evening, the official said. Forest personnel stay in these camps, located inside the national park, for patrolling and other associated activities to provide protection to the flora and fauna.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were imposed to restrict vehicular traffic movement on NH-715, with the speed of vehicles limited to 20-40 km per hour.