No respite for Assam: 96 dead, over 2.7 million affected by the floods
- 26 out of Assam's 33 districts are affected by floods
- 50,136 people are sheltered in 496 relief camps
- 125 animals have died in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve
Widespread floods are wreaking havoc in eastern India, especially in the north-eastern state of Assam where over 2.7 million people have been affected in 26 out of its 33 districts. 50,136 people are sheltered in 496 relief camps, as per the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) data released on Friday.
The death toll in the state has risen to 96 and 1.22-hectare area of the state is inundated.
President Ram Nath Kovind spoke to Assam’s Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take stock of the situation in the state. “I am humbled by his statement that the entire nation is with the people of Assam & thank him for his deep concern, constant support and guidance”, Sonowal tweeted.
Kovind also flagged off nine trucks with relief supplies for the flood-hit Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
“We are witnessing the third wave of floods, “Pankaj Chakraborty, state project coordinator, ASDMA told Hindustan Times. “Rainfall and flooding have been taking place since May end. While rainfall has taken place as per IMD [India Meteorological Department] prediction, climate change could be a reason for lack of a gap between waves of floods,” he added.
85% of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) is inundated. Till now, 125 animals have died including 13 rhinos (9 due to drowning and 4 due to natural causes).
Britain’s Prince William, the second in line to the British throne, wrote to KNPTR director P. Sivakumar, saying he and his wife Catherine “were heartbroken to hear about the appalling devastation to the Kaziranga National Park and its precious wildlife”.
“The deaths of so many animals, including one-horned rhino, is deeply upsetting,” he wrote.
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