Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday as floods forced 5.74 lakh people out of their homes in 22 of the State’s 34 districts.
“Spoke to Assam CM Shri @himantabiswa and took stock of the flood situation in parts of the State. Assured all possible support from the Centre to help mitigate the situation. I pray for the safety and well-being of those living in the affected areas,” the PM tweeted.
According to an update by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), a child died on Tuesday, taking the death toll to three in two days.
Several rivers, including the Brahmaputra, were flowing above the danger level.
The ASDMA data said 1,278 villages in 61 revenue circles have been affected. Crops across 39,831 hectares have been affected was in areas.
Of the 5,73,938 affected people, 1,91,821 were women and 1,44,582 children. The authorities set up 105 relief camps where 4,009 of the displaced people were taking shelter. Roads and infrastructure were damaged in several districts.
The rising water of the Brahmaputra inundated more than 70% of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. So far, nine animals — two swamp deer and seven hog deer – died. Some of them died in vehicle hits on a national highway on the southern edge of the one-horned rhino domain.
A 10-day old rhino calf was rescued by the forest guards from the park on Tuesday. The mother could not be traced. The weak calf was sent to the nearby Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation for the stabilisation and rehabilitation, the park authorities said.
