Floods wreak havoc in Assam, animals scurry for higher ground in Kaziranga

With much of the Kaziranga National Park submerged under water, the animals are straying into higher ground.

With over 17 lakh people affected across 24 districts of Assam by floods, the situation is turning from bad to worse. The disaster management authorities are having a tough time to cope up with the situation even as 294 relief camps have been setup in the state.

The Brahmaputra and its tributaries have submerged more than 2,500 villages, destroyed 1.06 lakh hectares of cropland, damaged infrastructure by breaching embankments and overrunning roads and bridges in Assam, said reports. The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Nimatighat in Jorhat, Tezpur in Sonitpur, and in Dibrugarh, Goalpara and Dhubri towns.

With much of the Kaziranga National Park submerged under water, the animals are straying into higher ground.

Assam chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal visited rhino habitat Kaziranga National Park and toured the various submerged forest camps on Wednesday. After inspecting the submerged areas within the 270 km Park, Sonowal also in a meeting here reviewed the situation in six deluge affected upper Assam districts.

Rhinos stuck in flood

Rhinos with their calves standing on an elevated land in the flooded Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

Animals scurry for high lands

Rhinos and buffalos take shelter at a high land in the flooded Kaziranga National Park.

Several animals habitats submerged

People look on as a wild elephant crosses a road near the flood affected Kaziranga National Park

People look on as a herd of wild elephants crosses a road.

The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday rapped the Assam government for the death of several animals in road accidents in the Kaziranga National Park and directed it to ensure their safety.

A scene of a submerged house

A scene of a submerged house as many areas in Assam have been inundated by waters following incessant rains in the state, at Narayanpur in Lakhimpur.Many areas is the northeast are affected by the floods. In Arunachal Pradesh, all rivers are running above the danger mark.

A submerged school

A view of a submerged school in the flood-affected Kuthori village near Kaziranga National Park in Nagaon district of Assam.Thousands of people have taken shelter on highlands and roads because of the unavailability of drinking water, sanitation. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged in several districts and over one lakh hectare crop area has been affected till date.

After visiting affected areas, Sonowal assured that the overflowing mighty Brahmaputra was being strictly monitored by respective agencies and permanent solution will be taken up after the monsoons which is not only a perennial problem but also to be noted as a national problem.

OneIndia News