90 per cent areas of Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary submerged by floodwaters, 47 wild animals died, tiger spotted in a village

Guwahati, July 13: The flood situation in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary turned more worst on Monday after the floodwaters submerged over 90 per cent areas of the sites.

In Kaziranga, due to the deluge, many wild animals including one-horned rhino, deer, elephant have taken shelter at highlands constructed inside the park and many animals come outside the park and moved towards the nearby Karbi Anglong hills area.

The park authority and district administration have restricted speed limit of all vehicles on National Highway 37 which is passing through the national park.

According to the Kaziranga National Park authority, the floodwaters have submerged over 90 per cent of the park areas and 166 anti-poaching camps out of 223 camps are now underwater.

The park authority has vacated seven anti-poaching camps due to the current flood situation.

The park authority said that, 47 wild animals including one rhino, 41 hog deer, three wild boar have died due to flood.

On Monday, a tiger was spotted in a village area near the Kaziranga National Park.

According to the reports, a sub-adult has entered inside a goat shed of a villager at Kandolimari village located near the park.

Due to the rise of water, the tiger comes outside the park and has taken shelter in the area.

The forest officials have rushed to the area to rescue the tiger.

On the other hand, floodwaters have submerged the National Highway 37 at many places in Kaziranga National Park.

In Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district, over 80 per cent areas of the wildlife sanctuary have been submerged by floodwaters.

Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary Ranger Mukul Tamuli said that, the wildlife sanctuary has been affected by floods third time within two months.

“12 anti-poaching camps out of 24 camps of the wildlife sanctuary are now underwater. We have shifted one camp due to flood. One rhino drowned in floodwaters during the second wave of flood on June 29,” Mukul Tamuli said.

Assam is a home to the largest population of greater-one horned rhinos, with more than 2600 rhinos.

The Rhino Population Estimation report, 2018 stated that the total number of rhinos in Kaziranga National Park counted 2,413 rhinos and 102 rhinos found in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

Assam flood: Thousands of people struggle to live after the third wave of flood hit them within two months, nearly 13.26 lakh people of 23 districts affected, death toll rises to 48

Guwahati, July 13: 43-year-old Jubbar Ali and his family are living on the road for the past two months after Assam has been hit by a devastating third wave of flood within two months.

Jubbar Ali – a resident of Murasiti Paam area near Sildubi under Mayanong revenue circle in Assam’s Morigaon district, and his family have spent several sleepless nights in a temporary tent on road.

“We have lost everything in the devastating flood. This is the third wave of flood within two months,” Jubbar Ali said.

Jubbar said that he had taken Rs 1 lakh as a loan from a local bank to cultivate paddy and vegetables in his agricultural land.

“But the floodwaters damaged our croplands. Earlier, we had faced problems due to COVID-19 lockdown. Now flood severely hit us. The floodwaters have completely submerged and damaged our cultivated crops. We are now totally helpless,” Jubbar Ali said.

He further said, more than 10,000 people of 10-12 villages in the area are badly affected in the flood.

“We are now struggling to live. Only government’s help will give some relief us,” Jubbar Ali said.

On the other hand, 65-year-old Abbas Ali – a farmer of the same village said that – “We will die following this situation.”

“Everything was destroyed. Flood destroyed our crops, we are now totally helpless,” Abbas Ali said.

Over 35,000 people of Morigaon district have been affected in the third wave of flood.

The floodwaters have submerged over 12,000 hectares of cropland in the central Assam district.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, nearly 13.26 lakh people of 23 districts of the state have been affected in the current flood.

On Monday, four people drowned in floodwaters in Sivasagar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta and Lakhimpur district and taking the state death toll in this year’s flood to 48.

Over 22,300 people have taken shelter at 126 relief camps, but the flood has forced thousands of people to live on roads, embankments and other higher lands.

Many people are now struggling to live after a devastating flood washed away their homes, damaged croplands.

21-year-old Biswajit Talukdar – a student of 2 no Murakata village in Morigaon district said that, his family has severely hit by flood third times within one and half months.

“I am a son of a farmer. The flood destroyed our croplands. We have now nothing to eat. Not only me and our family, but many other people are also facing similar problems. There is no other work to do due to COVID-19 lockdown,” Biswajit Talukdar said.

2075 villages in 23 districts have been affected in the fresh wave of floods.

However, the flood situation in Assam may turn grim after the Indian Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rainfall at isolated places in Assam and other neighbouring states in the next few days.

Assam flood: Sonowal asks in-charge ministers, MPs and MLAs to rush to affected areas

Guwahati, July 12: As the flood situation in Assam remains critical, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday asked the in-charge ministers, MPs and MLAs to rush to their respective districts, be with the affected people and expedite the relief and rescue operations with district administrations.

Taking stock of the flood situation in the state at a meeting in the Chief Minister’s residence in Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Sonowal asked the MPs and MLAs to stand by the flood-affected people and lend their hands in relief and rescue operations.

Due to intermittent rains as most of the rivers in the state are in spate, the flood situation has turned grim, necessitating the district administrations to be with the affected people with their men and materials and expeditiously provide relief and rescue operations.

Sonowal asked the Deputy Commissioners to take the help of NDRF and SDRF personnel for reaching out to the affected people.

He also asked the in-charge ministers, MPs and MLAs of the affected districts to help the district administrations and work in coordination to help the affected people.

The Assam Chief Minister took stock of the vast networks of embankments of the state as well as the embankments which sustained breach by the consecutive waves of flood in the state.

Taking note of the PowerPoint presentation on all the breached embankments of the state by the Water Resources Department, Sonowal asked the department to repair the breached portion of the embankments on a war footing and save the people from a possible deluge of new areas. He also asked the department to delegate its field-level staff to maintain a close surveillance on the embankments and take remedial steps if any part of the embankment is breached.

State Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta, Additional Chief Secretary Water Resources Syedian Abbasi, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Sanjay Lohiya, CEO Assam State Disaster Management Authority M.S. Manivannan and few other senior officers were present in the meeting.

Assam peasant leader Akhil Gogoi and 54 others tested positive for COVID-19 inside Guwahati Central Jail, one more BJP MLA tested positive

Guwahati, July 11: Assam peasant leader Akhil Gogoi who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged involvement in violent anti-CAA protests and lodged at Central Jail in Guwahati, tested positive for COVID-19 inside the jail on Saturday.

According to the reports, 55 inmates inside the jail including Akhil Gogoi have tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.

A top official of the state Home department said that, Akhil Gogoi was tested positive for COVID-19 in the Antigen test on Saturday evening.

33 other inmates inside the jail have also tested positive for the deadly virus on Saturday.

Apart from Akhil Gogoi his two colleagues Bittu Sonowal and Dhairjya Konwar – leaders of Assam farmer’s organization Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) have also tested positive for COVID-19 and they are now admitted at Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

In view of detection of COVID-19 positive cases, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration on Saturday has declared the Central Jail located at Lokhra area in Guwahati as containment zone.

On the other hand, one more BJP MLA of the state has tested positive for the new virus on Saturday.

BJP MLA of Sadiya assembly constituency Bolin Chetia has tested positive for COVID-19.

Earlier, two more MLAs in the state were tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.

Assam government extends COVID-19 lockdown in Guwahati by a week more

Guwahati, July 11: Given a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 positive cases, the Assam government on Saturday has extended the ongoing lockdown in Guwahati and Kamrup (Metro) district by a week more.

The Kamrup (Metro) district is already undergoing 14-day lockdown started from June 28.

In an order issued by Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said that the new lockdown order will come into force with effect from 6 pm of July 12 and shall remain in force up till 7 pm of July 19.

“There is continuing large scale spread of COVID 19 occurring in almost the entire District of Kamrup Metropolitan which may be a major threat to public health, hygiene and safety of the general population. Due to extensive testing, isolation and other restrictive measures, community spread of COVID19 has been contained to some extent and is showing encouraging downward trend which necessitates the further extension of prohibitory measures to contain the spread of the pandemic and avoid large scale spread of incidence of COVID 19 which is highly likely to cause loss of human lives,” the Assam Chief Secretary said in the order copy.

The Assam government has given some relaxations in the lockdown extending order.

The Assam Chief Secretary directed Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) district to identify elderly citizens and sick persons at home and put in place a mechanism to ensure the availability of critical care where required.

The Deputy Commissioner is also directed to ensure supply of essential food items as GR to the poorest of the society. For the purpose, Deputy Commissioner shall utilize the services of the Social Welfare Department and non- essential staff of GMC and GMDA. Passes shall also be issued to NGOs willing to supply cooked food to the poor.

Assam has so far reported 15536 positive cases for COVID-19 and Guwahati alone account over 5000 cases.

One more COVID-19 patient died on Saturday at Guwahati Medical College Hospital taking the state death toll to 36.