Floods hit Assam's famed Kaziranga National Park

Animals are being forced to wade through water to reach highland areas as heavy rains flooded the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

Famed for its one-horn rhinos, Kaziranga is submerged in flood waters.

No loss of wildlife has been reported yet. Park authorities have increased vigil to prevent poaching.

Nearly 576,537 people have been affected by floods in Assam. The districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Barpeta, Jorhat, Baska, Sonitpur and Dibrugarh are among the worst affected.

Annual monsoon season is vital for India as half of its cropland lacks irrigation. The rains support two-thirds of India's 1.25 billion populations who live in rural areas and rely on farming.

But excessive rains cause many problems such as floods, landslides and water-borne diseases.