Guwahati: All the forest camps (about 100) inside the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an abode of one-horned rhinoceros, have been submerged in flood water of the mighty Brahmaputra River that flows by while animals of the Park have scurried to the hilly areas to the south of the protected zone crossing the perilous national highway 37.
A forest staff, Dwipen Barua, was drowned in the flood on Tuesday night while his boat capsized in Agaratoli Range in the east of the national park, according to the Park director, M K Yadav.
The official informed that so far over 85 per cent area of the national park had been inundated.
The forest personnel have been compelled by the flood to resort to patrolling only on boats.
The authorities have pressed into action 100 country boats, 10 motor boats and nine floating forest camps (big motor boats) for protection of flood-hit animals.
As a precautionary measure, vehicles along the NH 37 are being allowed to pass only in convoys and barricades have been put up along the highway to regulate movements of vehicles for the safety of flood-hit park animals that are crossing the highway to safety.
A flood-hit hog deer was killed by a speeding vehicle on the highway on Tuesday, the vehicle was seized and driver arrested by the forest personnel. So far flood one rhino calf, one elephant calf have been killed in the park due to the flood this year.
Meanwhile, overall flood situation in Assam remained grim though there was slight reduction of water level in most of the rivers during the last 24 hours.
A government communiqué says, flood has so far submerged 2093 villages in 57 revenue circles in 16 of the districts in Assam damaging standing crop on over 1,12,635 hectare area. The government has so far set up 212 relief camps in which about two lakh people have taken shelter.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday made an aerial survey of the flood hit areas in the worse affected Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts and Majuli sub-division of Jorhat district. Gogoi also held a review meet with senior officials of the flood hit districts at Lakhimpur regarding flood relief and rescue operations.
He asked the Principal of Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh to depute a pediatrician to look after flood-hit children of Dhemaji district who are now taking shelter in relief camps. Gogoi asked concerned departments to ensure proper sanitation, adequate supply food and drinking water, medicines to flood-hit people.
Over 12 lakh affected in Assam floods
Over 12 lakh people have been affected in floods in 16 districts of Assam. Many rivers, including the mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries, continue to flow above the danger level, the authorities said Wednesday.
Officials said at least 10 people have died since Aug 18. In the latest casualty, two people died due to floods in Lakhimpur and Morigaon districts Tuesday.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), a total of 1,265,449 people were affected due to floods as the surging waters of Brahmaputra and its tributaries inundated 2,093 villages in the 16 districts.
This has forced 163,052 people to take shelter in 212 relief camps set up by the administrations.
Officials said floods have also damaged standing crops in 112,635.25 hectares of land.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been pressed into service.
Over 100 boats of the NDFR, SDRF and the Inland Water Transport department were engaged in relief and rescue operations in Morigaon, Barpeta Kamrup, Nalbari, Dhemaji, Tinsukia and Sonitpur districts, the officials said.
Officials said the Brahmaputra river is flowing above the danger level in Jorhat, Guwahati, Tezpur, Goalpara and Dhubri areas. (Inputs from IANS)
