Guwahati: With incessant rain lashing the northeastern states even on Friday, there is no let up in the flood situation in Assam where at least 49 people have lost their lives so far in the current wave of flood since August 10. More than 31 lakh people are still reeling under the devastating affect of the floods across 25 districts of the state.
In 903 relief camps set up by the local administration in different localities of the flood-hit districts, 4, 19,452 flood-hit people are taking shelter. The NDRF, SDRF, Army, Police and Forest Police personnel, revenue circle administrations and local people have so far evacuated 46,479 marooned people in 25 flood-hit districts, said the official flood bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
The floodwaters of the rivers have affected 3, 45,750.48 hectares of crop land in 31 districts of the State, the bulletin said.
It further stated that 9, 98,699 big animals, 5, 86, 335 small animals and 13, 92,948 poultry have been affected by the current wave of flood.
The Brahmaputra is still flowing above its respective danger levels at Neamatighat, Tezpur, Guwahati, Goalpara and Dhubri. Its tributaries Dhansiri (South), Jia Bharali, Kopili and Beki are also flowing above danger mark at different locations. The Kushiyara is also flowing above its danger level at Karimganj.
Meanwhile, after water level receded at Kaziranaga National Park, more animal carcasses surfaced taking the death toll of wild animals to 179 on Friday. Since last month's floods, the death toll increased to 286. At least 107 animals, including seven rhinos, perished in the water. Of the 179 animal deaths, which included nine rhinos, the majority were killed due to drowning when the Brahmaputra was in spate and had inundated large swathes of land. Hog deer, one of the smallest deer species, suffered the highest casualty with 153 of them drowned in the surging waters of the river in the northern fringe of the park that inundated over 80 per cent of Kaziranga's 430 sq km area last week. It was one of the worst floods Kaziranga experienced in three decades. Water levels rose to six feet at several places inside the the sanctuary, the park authorities said.
Other casualties due to drowning were three elephants, four each sambar and wild boar, two eastern swamp deer and one each Asiatic water buffalo and porcupine. Assam forest minister Parmilla Rani Brahma also visited the Kaziranga National Park and took stock of the situation.
