GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam has turned very critical with a population of over 21 lakh affected across 27 districts and six more drowning deaths reported from six districts on Monday.
One death each was reported from Lakhimpur, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Golaghat and Sivasagar district, taking the overall death toll to 50.
Barpeta continues to be the worst affected district in terms of people displaced, with over 5.40 lakh bearing the brunt of the flood fury followed by South Salmara where over 1.90 lakh remain affected.
The Brahmaputra river in seven districts and several tributaries across the state continue to flow above danger level.
Meanwhile, flood water has submerged 95 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park with 166 of the 233 camps in the park affected while seven camps had to be vacated.
“So far, 47 animals of the park have drowned in the flood water while 70 animals have been rescued,” the divisional forest officer, Eastern Assam wildlife division reported on Monday.
A sub-adult Royal Bengal Tiger was also spotted inside a submerged goat shed of a resident of Kandolimari village under Agoratoli forest range of the national park. Reportedly, the animal was trying to escape the flood fury in a bid to reach the highlands like several other fauna of the park.
Meanwhile, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday visited Rohmoria in Dibrugarh district and announced three schemes worth Rs 25 crore for finding a permanent solution to the problem of erosion caused by the Brahmaputra in the area.
Notably, three other schemes were announced by the state government in December last year for Rs 18 crore which are at different stages of implementation.
After interacting with the local people Sonowal announced that a rehabilitation policy would soon be taken up by the state government for the flood and erosion-hit landless people.
Erosion has affected many districts this monsoon season and the state government has been laying priority on construction of embankments for providing protection.