Kaziranga : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inspected flood affected areas in the State including an assessment of flood preparedness at Kaziranga National Park.

Later taking to his social media platform X, Sarma said in a post in Hindi, “We are actively engaged in relief and rescue operations. Arrangements have been made for shelter, health checkup and adequate food etc. Prime Minister @narendramodi ji has also assured me that if any need arises, the central government will provide immediate help”.

“See, we are trying to help those who are currently affected. Medical health camps, later assistance for the reconstruction of the houses, making embankments, building roads, all this will be done but now we think that we can’t. The Prime Minister has said that if there is any help from him, we will immediately ask for help,” Sarma told reporters on Tuesday evening.

Sarma also made an assessment of flood preparedness at Kaziranga National Park. “Just concluded a late evening assessment of flood preparedness at Kaziranga National Park. I have instructed the deployment of additional NDRF battalions to augment ongoing relief ops and asked for additional mobile veterinary clinics to assist stray wild animals,” Sarma said in a separate post.

The Assam chief minister visited Hatimura where the current flood breached a point of an embankment and assured that repair work will be completed at the earliest.  Meanwhile, the flood situation in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park is still grim and 5 animals, including a rhino calf died in the national park due to the flood, park authorities said.

The park authorities and state forest department have so far rescued 24 wild animals. According to the park authorities, the flood waters inundated 167 forest camps out of 233 camps inside the park.

 “Thirty four camps submerged in Agratoli range, 48 camps in Kaziranga range, 29 camps in Bagori range, 13 camps in Burapahar range, 7 camps in Bokakhat range, 22 camps in Biswanath Wildlife Division, 14 camps in Nagaon Wildlife Division,” Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park said.

As a result of flooding, the park authorities vacated eight forest camps.  As per latest report on Tuesday by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the death toll caused by the floods have risen to 38 with three more people having drowned in flood waters.

According to the ASDMA report on July 2, two people died in Tinsukia district while one died in Dhemaji district and the total death toll has mounted to 38.  Officials said that over 11.34 lakh people in 28 districts were affected.

The affected districts are Kamrup, Tamulpur, Chirang, Morigaon, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Dibrugarh, Karimganj, Udalguri, Nagaon, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Hojai, Darrang, Charaideo, Nalbari, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Karbi Anglong, Goalpara, Dhemaji, Majuli, Tinsukia, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Cachar, Kamrup (M).

The flood waters have submerged 42476.18 hectares of crop area. 2208 villages under 84 revenue circles were affected in the second wave of flood.  The administration has set up 489 relief camps and distribution centres in flood-hit districts where nearly 2.87 lakh people are taking shelter.

Rescue teams of local administration, Army, Paramilitary forces, SDRF, and Circle Office are engaged in rescue operations in many places and on Tuesday rescued nearly 2900 people from different flood-affected areas.

The administration on Tuesday distributed 10754.98 quintals of rice, 1958.89 quintals of dal, 554.91 quintals of salt, and 23061.44 litres of mustard oil among the flood-affected people and also provided cattle feed.

The ASDMA flood report stated that 832099 animals were also affected by the deluge. On Tuesday, flood waters damaged 74 roads, 6 bridges, and 14 embankments, and breached 5 embankments.