Kaziranga animals suffer in massive Assam floods

The Assam administration has sounded an evacuation alert in several areas of the state, as 11 districts are reeling under the floods on the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries following torrential rains over the weekend.

The Kaziranga National Park, which is home to two-thirds of world's one-horned rhinoceros population as well as a number of wild Asiatic elephants, is also partially flooded and many animals have been forced to take shelter on the highlands.

Heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh has caused the Jiadhol river to rise and inundate fresh areas in Dhemaji district. The other districts affected by the deluge are Tinsukia, Chirang, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Morigaon and Sibsagar. The floods have affected nearly one lakh people across the state.

Most of the roads were damaged or affected, while several others either partially or fully submerged. Many road embankments had been eroded and approaches of bridge and culverts washed away by the flood water.

The Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger level at Nematighat in Jorhat district, Burhidehing at Khowang in Dibrugarh district, Desang at Nanglamuragat in Sibsagar and Jia Bharali at N T Road Crossing in Sonitpur.

The situation in the world's largest river island Majuli was also grim. The entire island is almost submerged and over 75 families have been rendered homeless due to heavy floods and erosion.

The worst flood in recent years has caused large scale devastation in 2,809 villages in 27 of the 28 districts of the state.