Assam inundated, over 20,000 lose their homes

Guwahati: Heavy rain and floods, that continue to worsen, have killed at least eight people and affected more than 16 lakh populations across 27 districts of Assam on Sunday.

The Brahmaputra river has burst its banks at several places, swamping more than 2,217 villages in the state.

The Assam State Disaster management Authority (ASDMA) on Sunday said that state administration has set up 62 relief camps in which more than 20,047 people, displaced by floods, are taking shelter.

The state administration was also running 172-relief distribution centres in flood-hit areas of the state.

The wildlife authorities said that 70 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park—home to the world’s largest population of Ind-ian one-horned rhino—is submerged in water.

Pointing out that animals are moving towards highland for shelter, the park authorities said that forest officials along with district and sub-divisional administration is on alert as flood water has also submerged 95 camps oif the forest guards.

The forest department is also alert on the National Highway (NH) 37 in order to avoid any poaching chances by hunters.

Time cards are being provided to vehicles coming from both sides of the Kaziranga National Park to provide utmost security to animals from being hunted. Forest guards have also been put on duty at night.

Meanwhile, the troops of the Indian Army along with SDRF and civil administration conducted rescue operations and evacuated around 150 villagers who were stranded in Balipur Char of Baksa district in the state.

The villagers were shifted to flood relief shelters temporarily constructed in Odalguri village. Those rescued include 55 women, 40 men, 25 senior citizens and 30 children.

The village Balipur Char was inundated as the Beki River flowed above danger level due to incessant rains for the last few days.

Barpeta is the worst-hit with 5.22 lakh people suffering, followed by Dhemaji (1.38 lakh people) and Morigaon (nearly 95,000 persons).