Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
The second wave of floods in Assam, triggered by heavy rainfall, have left a trail of destruction in the state. Seven more people died in the floods on 15 July, taking the death toll to 66. Over 36 lakh people have been displaced across 27 districts in the state. Lakhs of houses have been washed away and several villages submerged in the floods.
The Massive Scale of Destruction
Assam State Disaster Management Authority officials said that over the past four weeks, at least 66 deaths due to flood were reported from Biswanath, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Morigaon, Tinsukia, Dhubri, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Udalguri, Goalpara and Dibrugarh districts.
More than 1 lakh hectares of cropland was inundated, crops and plantations were ruined, and losses worth crores were reported in the current wave of floods.
More than 10 lakh domestic animals were affected by the floods. Close to 95 percent of the Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary were submerged. In Kaziranga National Park alone, at least 50 animals were reported dead.
More than eight rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Dhansiri, Jia Bhorali, and Kopili, are flowing above the danger mark in several areas across 12 districts.
Worst-Affected Districts
The worst-affected districts of Assam are Dhemaji, Udalguri, Darrang, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Baksa, Lakhimpur, Chirang, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Majuli, Dibrugarh, West Karbi Anglong, Karbi Anglong, Khumtai, Sapatgram and Tinsukia.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority said that the worst-hit district in the state was Barpeta, with over 5 lakh people affected. Dhubri and Morigaon districts with over 4 lakh affected respectively and and South Salmara district with over 2 lakh affected, were also among the worst-hit places.
At least three bridges were damaged in the Barpeta district and one in the Dhubri district. Several cases of erosion and breaching of embankments were reported from the Nalbari, Baksa, Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar districts.
Rescue Operations: A Challenge
The National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force personnel, along with the local administration, are carrying out rescue and relief operations, which are a challenge amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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