Centre assures all help to flood-hit Assam

The Centre on Friday assured all help to flood-ravaged Assam in dealing with the crisis situation in the state where over 8.5 lakh people have been rendered homeless and 22 lives lost so far.

An official source informed that the Centre promised to send more teams of National Disaster Response Force to the state to help in rescue of marooned people. Already 16 teams of NDRF are in the state including a 70-member team exclusively for marooned river island of Majuli.

A member of National Disaster Management Authority is expected to visit the flood-affected areas of Assam.

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The union home ministry is in constant touch with the Assam government monitoring the relief and rescue operations in flood-affected areas, an official source said.

The home ministry has deployed 15 teams of NDRF comprising 548 personnel along with 60 boats and other necessary equipment to carry out rescue and relief operations in flood-hit districts of Assam barring the one deployed in Majuli.

As many as 21 districts have been affected by current waves of floods triggered by surging waters of rivers Brahmaputra, Puthimari, Jiabharali, Burhidihing, Dhansiri, Beki and Manas.

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Indian Air Force helicopters have been used to rescue marooned and distressed people while Army have been put on alert in the flood-hit state.

Meanwhile, flood water has deluged wildlife protection areas in Assam much to the distress of park animals. Forest and wildlife personnel are having a tough time protecting flood-hit wildlife that have strayed out of marooned park areas to search of highlands.

Officials in famous Kaziranga National Park said that about 70 per cent of the park area have been submerged by surging waters of River Brahmaputra. The flood water has shown receding trend on Friday much to the relief of forest staff.

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Meanwhile, the Pabitora wildlife sanctuary in Morigaon district is completely submerged while at least 30 per cent of the Manas National Park in western Assam has been inundated.

The Rajiv Gandhi National Park in Orang in Darrang district too has been affected by the flood. The Forest and Wildlife department is taking possible steps to keep anti-poaching camps inside the wildlife protection areas running during flood-time to defeat the design of poachers on the prowl.

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