GUWAHATI: Five more people died on Friday in Dhubri, Darrang, Bongaigaon, Goalpara and Kamrup districts, taking the toll to 76 in flood-hit Assam. Another 26 victims had lost their lives in landslides earlier in the northeastern state. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, 35.76 lakh people in 3,014 villages and localities across 28 of the state’s 33 districts are affected. Standing crop was affected in area spread over 1.28 lakh hectares.
Altogether, 711 relief camps were operational in 24 districts where 51,421 people are taking shelter.
Floodwater breached a number of river embankments and damaged bridges and roads across the state. Major rivers such as Brahmaputra, Jia Bharali, Beki and Kopili in the Brahmaputra Valley and Barak and Kushiyara in the Barak Valley were in a spate.
In Kaziranga National Park, 86 animals have perished so far due to various reasons including drowning and vehicle hits. The animals included five rhinos, two wild buffalos, seven wild boars, two swamp deer, two porcupines and 68 hog deer.
Concerned about the damage caused by the flood, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama wrote to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. “The monsoon rains in Assam and other parts of India bring destruction and great suffering to people year after year. Unfortunately, this year the situation has been made even more troublesome by the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
I am writing to you today to express my sadness at the loss of life and devastation of property, as well as the tremendous hardship caused to so many due to flooding in many parts of your state,” he wrote.
He also made a donation from the Dalai Lama Trust towards the relief and rescue efforts. England’s Arsenal football club also expressed its solidarity with the victims of the deluge.