IMD predicts intense rain till July 21
At a time when there is a massive surge in the coronavirus infections across India, flood situations worsened in Assam and Bihar on Sunday while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted intense rainfall in five States in East and North East region till July 21.
Assam and Bihar are facing the twin challenge of combating floods and the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, a portion of a bridge also collapsed at Madkhot on Pithoragarh Munsyari road, following incessant rainfall in Uttrakhand. The Badrinath Highway was blocked due to rainfall-induced landslide in Bhanerpani and Pipalkoti area.
According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), as many as 85 people died in 26 districts due to flood. One death each was reported from Baghbar in Barpeta district, Baganpara in Baksa district, Bilasipara in Dhubri district, Mayong in Morigaon district and Kaliabor in Nagaon district on Sunday.
As many as 25.29 lakh people, 28.14 lakh animals (small, big and poultry) and 1.12 lakh hectare crops had been affected in 2,400 villages and localities spread in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Cachar districts in the State. As per Assam’s Kaziranga National Park bulletin, nine rhinos, 82 hog deers, seven wild boars are among the 108 wild animals that have died so far. The flood situation in several districts in Bihar also worsens as rivers are flowing above the danger mark.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar over phone and assured all support in dealing with the flood havoc, which has claimed over 100 lives so far this year. Former Rajasthan deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot also appealed to all Indians to join the efforts in helping support those affected due to the floods in Assam and Bihar.
According to floods situation report, Goalpara is the worst hit with over 4.53 lakh people suffering, followed by Barpeta with around 3.44 lakh persons and Morigaon with more than 3.41 lakh people. The river Brahmaputra was flowing above danger level in several places in the state, and a total of 26 districts have been affected so far. The State Government has set up 50,559 relief camps across the state so far.
The total number of revenue circles affected is 79 and over 3000 villages were devastated by the floods. According to a Kaziranga Park director P Sivakumar, nearly 85 percent area of the park, spread over 430 sq km is under water at present. Forty three of the 223 forest camps inside the park are inundated of which six have been vacated.
Till now, 60 animals (36 hog deer, eight rhinos, three wild buffalo, one python, seven wild boar, two swamp deer, one Sambar and two porcupines) have died due to drowning. Fifteen hog deer have died after getting hit by vehicles on national highway 37 close to the park, while trying to cross it to escape flood waters. According to the KNPTR bulletin, 51 animals have been injured due to floods and one by a speeding vehicle. Till date, 134 animals have been rescued. The park has around 2,400 rhinos and 121 tigers. Last year, floods had claimed nearly 200 animals in the park, including 18 rhinos. The floods have also caused massive soil erosion in many places across the state, which is detrimental for the growth of plants and trees leading to an increase in the number of floods.
All major rivers in Bihar are in spate and are flowing above the danger mark, flooding 37 blocks in eight districts in the State. About three lakh people are still in the grip of floods of which 1.58 lakh people are from Darbhanga which is the worst affected.
In Himachal Pradesh, locals of the Badseri Village were rescued from Kharoghla Nalla in Kinnaur after flash floods were triggered by heavy rainfall in the region.
Heavy rains continued its havoc in Uttrakhand as water from Gori river washed away four houses, and large tracts of cultivable land at Chori Bagar village in Bangapani sub division of the district.
In Southern India, water overflowed and entered into residential areas of Chellanam, a coastal village in Kochi due to the monsoon rains.
The IMD has warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in five eastern and north eastern States including Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh over the next three days.
