Fear of water-borne diseases looms, 14 animals in KNP fall to flood

Guwahati, Aug 4 (UNI) The gradually improving flood situation in Asom may give way to another doleful tale of water-borne diseases spreading fast in flood-affected areas.

While the water levels of all the rivers in the state were following a receding trend despite flowing marginally above the danger level till this morning, reports pouring in from the flood-affected areas indicated that people had been affected by water-borne diseases like cholera, diarrhea, pox, fever and malaria.

Though no report of casualty had been received as yet, the diseases were said to spreading fast in certain areas of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Kamrup and Nalbari, putting the administrations in a dock.

According to official estimates, at least 23 people had been killed and over 63,00,000 displaced as the first wave of flood swept across 26 districts of the states, breaching embankments, washing off roads and inundating croplands over the last three weeks.

The state government had opened 523 relief camps across the state, sheltering over one lakh flood-hit.

The flood had cost 14 animal lives of the pristine Kaziranga National Park, even as the waters were said to be receding and the forest guards moving back to their camps, 90 of which were inundated by the flood.

Seven deer were runover by speeding vehicles on the National Highway, while four others, two pigs and rhino were drowned in flood waters till date.

Prohibitory orders were still in place on the NH 37, passing through the park, as animals were still crossing the road to pass over to the higher places in the Karbi hills towards the south.

Waters in Manas National Park were also receding. No casualty had been reported from the wildlife habitat as yet.

Official sources said no fresh report of damage had been received from any other flood-affected districts.

The state government, meanwhile, had ordered an inquiry as to how 53 embankments had been breached in a single flood.

On the other hand, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Shivraj Patil are likely to pay an aerial visit to the flood -affected areas of the state soon.

UNI