GUWAHATI: One more person died in the flood in Assam on Tuesday but the overall situation is improving.
The death occurred in Darrang district. With this, the death toll rose to 104. Twenty-six others were killed in rain-triggered landslides earlier.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, over 19.81 lakh people from 1,771 villages and localities across 21 of the state’s 33 districts were reeling under the flood. A fortnight ago, the number of people affected was in excess of 40 lakh and across 28 districts.
Altogether 398 relief camps were operational in 16 districts where 42,275 of the marooned were taking refuge. Personnel of National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and police were engaged in rescue operations.
Major rivers such as Brahmaputra, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, and Kopili were flowing above the danger level at some places. Standing crop was still under water in 1.03 lakh hectares of land.
At the Kaziranga National Park, 137 animals, including 14 rhinos, died till Tuesday morning due to various reasons including drowning and vehicle hits. The incidents of vehicle hits occurred on a national highway that traverses beside the park.
Flood and river erosion have been Assam’s perennial problems. Several organisations, including the All Assam Students’ Union, had raised a demand in the past to declare these as “national problems”.