Deluge in Assam and Meghalaya has so far killed 92 people but three States in the northeast have received deficient rainfall.
Data provided by the Guwahati centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Meghalaya and Assam have received excess rainfall while the downpour in Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura has been normal.
On the other hand, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland have been 35.33% rain deficit.
The IMD has three meteorological subdivisions in the contiguous northeastern States — Arunachal Pradesh; Assam and Meghalaya; and NMMT (Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura).
Arunachal Pradesh received 16% more rainfall than normal from July 1-21 while Assam and Meghalaya received 31% more by recording 1165.6 mm. With Tripura included, the NMMT States received 30% less rainfall with Manipur’s deficit being 45% followed by Mizoram (34%) and Nagaland (27%).
Tripura received 2% less but its rainfall was categorised as normal.
Moderate to very heavy rainfall and thundershowers have been predicted across the region over the next week.
Death toll
Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said a person each drowned in central Assam’s Morigaon and Nagaon district to take the death toll since May 22 to 87. Landslides during this period claimed 26 more human lives.
“The overall flood situation, however, has improved with 24 districts now affected and 24.19 lakh people affected. The number of people across 276 relief camps has also come down to 44,498 from more than 50,000 two days ago,” an ASDMA spokesperson said.
In Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district, floods have killed five people — a woman and four children — in less than a week.
“The Tikrikilla Block has borne the brunt with 181 villages inundated and 1.5 lakh people affected. We have set up relief camps but most people have preferred to stay in makeshift sheds of their own arrangement,” the district’s Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh told The Hindu.
Floods and landslides had earlier killed 12 people in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
Kaziranga water rising
The water level in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve rose again on Tuesday after two days of subsiding. Officials said 90% of the park is now submerged with 73 of the 223 anti-poaching camps affected.
So far, 116 animals including 11 one-horned rhinos and three Asiatic water buffaloes have died while 143 animals have been rescued, out of which 117 were released in the jungles on higher grounds.
