Assam flood situation continues to be grim, nine killed till date

Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam worsens as over 662,000 people including women and children have been affected in 27 districts (out of 34) including. At least nine people were killed in the natural disaster. The army & para-military forces, national & local disaster response force personnel have joined the district administration in rescue initiatives.
The pre-monsoon floods has damaged over 46,000 hectare of crop areas. More than 50,000 people are taking shelter in relief camps opened in most affected districts of Dima Hasao, Hojai, Nagaon, Charaideo, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Darrang, Bajali, Baksa, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj. Meanwhile, the meteorological department has predicted more rainfall in the coming days.
The southern part of Assam remains out of road and rail communication affecting the essential service to Tripura and Mizoram too. Union home minister Amit Shah, while talking to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, assured all possible support to the flood-affected State. Sarma lately urged his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma to facilitate smooth movement of relief goods & materials towards the flood-hit Barak valley.
Sarma also asked the Cachar district magistrate to stockpile essential food and other commodities for at least 15 days owing to the grim flood scenario. State ministers Keshab Mahanta, Pijush Hazarika, Parimal Suklabaidya, etc visited many flood-affected areas, had apprised Sarma about the ground situation.
The annual flood has also inundated northern parts of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Forest minister Suklabaidya informed that the authority has built 40 highlands inside the forest reserves for providing shelter to animals during the flood. Half of those highlands are erected in the abode of single horn rhinos on the south bank of Brahmaputra.
Kaziranga forest reserve director Jatin Sharma informed that the authority is prepared to face any eventuality because of the flood. The forest personnel are put on high alert, said the director, adding that vaccination of cattle and camp elephants were carried out in the last few weeks to prevent infection from domestic animals to the wild ones.