1. Kaziranga National Park, famed for biodiversity and rhino conservation, confronts its severest flood in ten years.
2. Water levels peaked at 87.47 meters on June 1, 2024, surpassing the 2017 record.
3. The flood has claimed 174 animal lives, including 10 one-horned rhinos, impacting the park’s ecosystem.
Kaziranga, July 12: Kaziranga National Park, known for its biodiversity and protection of one-horned rhinoceroses, faces its worst flood in a decade.
The park, spanning 1,090 square kilometers in Assam, saw water levels peak at 87.47 meters on June 1 at Nimatighat in the Jorhat district, surpassing the previous record set in 2017.
According to KNP director Sonali Ghosh, the floods have claimed 174 animal lives, including 10 rhinos. The hog deer were the most affected, with 153 deaths mainly due to drowning, compounded by two fatalities from vehicle collisions on nearby highways.
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“In 2017, the park witnessed its most devastating flood, with 291 animal casualties, including 24 rhinos,” Ghosh noted. This year, forest personnel rescued 135 animals under challenging conditions.
“While wildlife loss is concerning, floods are vital for the park’s ecosystem and wildlife cycle,” said Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, CEO of Aranyak, a biodiversity conservation group. “Annual floods energize the ecosystem and are crucial for sustaining wildlife, including rhinos along the Brahmaputra river.”
Despite Kaziranga’s situation, Assam’s overall flood scenario is improving.
According to the latest update from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, 13.99 lakh people in 2,545 villages across 26 districts are affected, with 83 flood-related deaths reported this year.
