Flood water recedes in Assam, 1.1 million people still distressed

With the flood water receding in most affected districts, Assam flood situation further improved significantly on Saturday, officials said.

According to officials, of the 11 lakh affected people in 20 of the 33 districts, 8.30 lakh are in the state's six western districts -- Goalpara (340,515), Morigaon (173,364), Bongaigaon (115,864), Barpeta (61,236), Golaghat (41,857), Dhubri (38,448) and in eastern district of Lakhimpur (58,891).

India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said that the respite in the monsoon rains during the past nine days ensured improvement in flood situation.

Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that around 11 lakh people in 1,295 villages in 20 districts continue to be distressed, though the number has dropped since July 24 when over 28 lakh people in 2,543 villages of 26 districts were affected.

A total of 75,711 hectares of crops are still flooded, but the area has come down from 122,573 hectares as on July 24.

The ASDMA officials said that nine major rivers including the Brahmaputra, are in spate in many places in nine districts, including Sonitpur, where both the Brahmaputra and Jia Bharali are flowing over the danger level.

According to forest officials, at least 145 wild animals have died due to the deluge and 170 have been rescued, even as over 55 per cent of the 884 sq km Kaziranga National Park remains inundated.

The animals that have died in the annual monsoon floods include 16 rhinos, 105 hog deer, 11 wild boars, five wild buffaloes, three porcupines and two swamp deer.

Officials said that besides Kaziranga, located on the edge of the eastern Himalayan bio-diversity hotspots of Golaghat and Nagaon districts, the Manas, R.G. Orang and Tinsukia national parks, and the Pabitora and Tinsukia wildlife sanctuaries were also affected.

--IANS

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