Assam floods claim six more lives, death toll climbs to 66

Guwahati: The death toll from floods in Assam went up to 66 on Wednesday as six more people drowned while the situation remained grim in the state, where the deluge

Published on: Jul 15, 2020, 23:53:48 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Guwahati: The death toll from floods in Assam went up to 66 on Wednesday as six more people drowned while the situation remained grim in the state, where the deluge has affected over 3.5 million people and submerged around 90% area of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

The latest deaths were reported from Sonitpur, Barpeta, Golaghat and Morigaon districts. Another 26 have died in the state due to landslides caused by heavy rains since late May.

Nearly 4,000 people stranded due to floodwaters were rescued on Wednesday and evacuated to safety. The floods have displaced over 36,000 people across the state’s 19 districts and they have been sheltered in 629 relief camps.

“The flood situation seems to have peaked and is expected to improve in the next few days unless there is unexpected heavy rainfall. This is the second wave of floods this season after the first one in May,” said Pankaj Chakravarty, state project coordinator, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA)

Assam witnesses 3-4 waves of floods between May and August each year and almost all parts of the state barring few stretches in the two hills districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao are affected. Over 200 people were killed due to floods last year.

The state is witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases with 18,666 cases reported till Wednesday. A safety protocol has been prepared by ASDMA to maintain safety and social distancing in the relief camps set up for flood affected and district administrations are following it strictly. Rescue personnel are evacuating stranded people wearing personal protective equipment kits.

Till Wednesday, 66 animals at the reserve were reported to have died during the ongoing monsoon season, according to a bulletin issued by reserve authorities. As many as 23 of them have drowned while vehicle hits have killed 12 others. A total of 45 animals (all hog deer) have been injured—44 due to floods and 1 due to vehicle hit. Forest personnel have rescued 117 animals, including a one-year-old female rhino calf, to date, according to the bulletin.

“We rescued a one-year-old female rhino calf on Tuesday and on Wednesday a two-year-old tigress which had strayed out of the park’s Bagori range due to floods was tranquillised and rescued after an operation lasting nearly 30 hours,” said the reserve director, P Sivakumar.

The reserve is spread over 430 sq km and is the biggest habitat for one-horned rhinos in the world.

ASDMA said the affected people live in 3,376 flood-hit villages in 26 of the state’s 33 districts.

Floodwaters continued to cause damage to the infrastructure. On Wednesday, three bridges were damaged in Barpeta district and one in Dhubri. Several instances of land erosion were reported from Nalbari, Baksa, Bongaigaon, and Kokrajhar districts.

Water levels in most Assam rivers continued to rise, according to a Central Water Commission bulletin.

The Brahmaputra, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, Kopili, Beki, and Kushiyara rivers were flowing over the danger mark at several places.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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