Guwahati: Five new deaths were reported from across Assam in the past 24 hours even as the overall flood situation in the state slightly improved.
The fresh deaths were reported from Cachar, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, South Salmara and Dhemaji districts. This took the death toll due to the flood this year to 84.
The daily flood bulletin issued by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Wednesday evening said that even as the overall flood situation slightly improved, the river Brahmaputra was still flowing above the danger level at four places in Nematighat (Jorhat), Tezpur, Guwahati and Dhubri. Several other rivers were also flowing above the danger mark, it said.
Dhubri, Barpeta, Cachar, Golaghat, South Salmara and Darrang have remained the worst-hit districts.
More than 14.38 lakh people still remained affected due to floods in 2,580 villages in 27 (out of 34) districts on Wednesday. Over 45,000 displaced persons have been provided shelter in 365 relief camps. The flood destroyed houses, roads, bridges, culverts and eroded land at several places. The survey of the damages caused by the flood will be carried out once the water recedes, an official at ASDMA said.
Nine rhinos, 154 other animals killed in Kaziranga
The famous Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam, the world's biggest habitat for one-horned rhinos, have lost nine prized rhinos in the ongoing floods that have wreaked havoc across the state.
Director of the park Sonali Ghosh said that a total of 163 wild animals, including 144 hog deers, died in the flood water in the past two weeks. Two more hog deers died after being hit by vehicles while crossing the highway passing through the park. Ghosh said that 113 hog deers were treated and released. Out of the 233 forest camps, 51 still remained inundated.
As the flood inundates their habitats, animals rush to the hills of Karbi Anglong district on the other side of the highway but many are killed in vehicle-hits despite having the speed limits clamped by the administration.
The 1,090 square kilometer Kaziranga has 2,600 one-horned rhinos and many die due to the floods that hit the national park almost every monsoon. The death of the animals have become a worry but conservationists said that flood is necessary to keep the park's ecology and the animal life cycle going in the park.