Flood toll in Assam, Bihar crosses 100
New Delhi: The flood situation in Assam and Bihar remained grim on Thursday with the death toll crossing the 100-figure mark while three districts in Kerala braced for extremely heavy rains with the IMD issuing a red alert for the next three days.
Parts of north and eastern India were lashed by rains and the Army was called out in Punjab's Sangrur district following a 50-foot breach in the Ghaggar river that inundated over 2,000 acres of agricultural field and inhabitants of a few nearby villages fled fearing flood threat.
The national capital witnessed a fresh bout of rains Thursday that resulted in a drop in temperatures and pollution levels.
The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official figures for the city, reported 12.1 mm rains overnight. Between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, it measured 3.6 mm precipitation.
A total 78 people have died so far in the flash floods that have hit Bihar in the wake of torrential rainfall in adjoining Nepal, the state disaster management department said.
Sitamarhi district accounted for the maximum number of 18 death.
Other districts reporting casualties are Madhubani (14), Araria (12), Sheohar and Darbhanga (nine each), Purnea (seven), Kishanganj (four), Supaul (three) and East Champaran (two).
Of Assam's 33 districts, 28 remained under the grip of floods that has displaced nearly 54 lakh people and killed 36 people.
The mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries are flowing above the danger mark in Guwahati and other
parts of the state, and according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 53,52,107 people are reeling under the impact of the deluge.
Nine fresh deaths — three from Morigaon, two from Biswanath, and one each from Sonitpur, Udalguri, Bongaigaon and Barpeta districts — were reported on Thursday, the ASDMA said.
Barpeta is the worst-hit district with 13.48 lakh people suffering due to the deluge that has damaged over 4,000 houses across the state, swept away 130 animals and affected over 25 lakh big and small animals. Large parts of Manas National Park and Pobitora
Wildlife Sanctuary are also submerged, forcing wild animals, including rhinos, elephants, deer and wild boars, to
take refuge in artificial highlands constructed within the parks or migrate to the
southern highlands of Karbi Anglong hills.
Several famed one-horned rhinoceros and other animals have reportedly died in the floods.
Images of a fully grown tiger "relaxing" on a bed inside a shop in Assam's flooded Kaziranga National Park has created a buzz on social media and thrown spotlight on the plight of animals as the state battles the deluge.
Over 2.26 lakh displaced people have taken shelter in 1,080 relief camps and 689 relief distribution centres set up by the district administrations, the ASDMA bulletin said.
Meanwhile, in Kerala, the IMD has sounded a red
alert in Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts
which are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall upwards of 20 cm in the next two to three days.
