Kaziranga National Park inundated, animals being shifted to safe spots

Picture Courtesy : The Financial Express

Incessant rain in Assam has left large parts of Kaziranaga National Park submerged in water. According to a forest official, more than half of the area is inundated and looking at the grim situation the animals are being shifted to a safer place.

“More than 50 per cent of is area submerged. Elephants, rhinos and deer migrated to Karbi Hills as flood level expected to rise,” said M Das, Assistant Conservator, Kaziranga National Park. This comes a day after six hog deers were killed because of the deluge.

According to Indian Express report, The situation in the north-east state has turned from bad to worse as the rising water levels of the Brahmaputra, Barak and their tributaries has left 39 people dead, according to an Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report. At least 23 districts have been inundated and around 15 lakh people are affected because of the heavy rain.

As the flood situation remained critical, Pramila Rani Brahma, Assam’s forest minister on Tuesday visited the national park and took stock of the flood situation. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is also closely monitoring the flood situation in the state.

According to a report in PTI, over 48,483 people have been shifted to 208 relief camps in 16 worse affected districts. The report also suggests that 2,498 villages are presently under water and over 1.4 lakh hectare crop area has been affected. Scores of people have taken shelter on highlands and roads because unavailability of drinking water and sanitation has made their lives difficult. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure have collapsed in several districts.

8,82,315 animals and poultry across the state stands affected because of the heavy lashes. Currently, the Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Nimatighat in Jorhat, Tezpur in Sonitpur, along with Dibrugarh, Goalpara and Dhubri towns.

Other rivers flowing above the danger mark are the Burhidehing in Dibrugarh’s Khowang, the Subansiri in Lakhimpur’s Badatighat, the Dikhow at Sivasagar town, the Dhansiri in Golaghat’s Numaligarh, the Jia Bharali in Sonitpur’s NT Road Crossing, the Puthimari in Kamrup’s NH Road Crossing, the Beki in Barpeta’s Road Bridge, the Sankosh Golokganj in Dhubri and the Kushiyara at Karimganj town.