Assam Flood Situation Remains Grim; Parts of Kaziranga Faces Inundation

GUWAHATI: With close to one lakh population of the state still affected by the current wave of floods, the flood situation in Assam continued to remain grim till Sunday.

To add to the state’s woes, parts of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), a UNESCO World Heritage site, have been submerged by flood waters since Saturday.

As of Sunday evening, around 98,840 people across 13 districts and subdivisions have been affected by the first wave of floods as the monsoon hit the state, according to the official daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

The latest report, however, showed that there has been some improvement since Saturday, when the number of affected people stood at 1.07 lakh across 17 districts. Moreover, according to forecast by the Met office till Monday, heavy rainfall is predicted in five northeastern states, including Assam.

Upper Assam and parts of the state on the northern side of the Brahmaputra are among the worst-affected areas.

More than 70,000 people are facing inundation by flood waters in Dhemaji, Golaghat and Sivasagar districts. All these areas are in upper Assam where the Brahmaputra and Dikhou, its tributary, were flowing above the danger level on Sunday morning

Golaghat district remained the worst-hit, with a total of 28,965 people affected, followed by Dhemaji with 28,140 hit by floods and Sivasagar district with 13,713 people affected.

Vast tracts of land In Kaziranga in low-lying areas remain inundated. Many forest camps are reeling under water, even as roads leading to the interiors of the park remain submerged.

It is a risky time for the wildlife as poachers take advantage of the floods. Kaziranga’s 60 to 62 anti-poaching camps have been affected by floodwater. The situation was described as not yet critical but park director Jatindra Sarma said they are keeping a close watch so that the safety of wildlife is not compromised.

Since Saturday, the water level has surged up in Kaziranga, while the flood situation turned worse in upper Assam. Jeep patrolling was no longer feasible In ranges of the National Park like Agoratoli, a popular tourist pocket in Kaziranga.

Meanwhile, the situation has improved significantly in Biswanath sub-division of Sonitpur district, where the most number of people, around 32,000, were affected by floods on Saturday.

The administration has kept a total of 17 relief camps and 49 relief distribution centres operational across six districts in the state, as on Sunday.

Two major rivers- Brahmaputra and its tributary Dikhou, were reported to be flowing above the danger level on Sunday morning.

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