By Nava Thakuria*
Kaziranga tackling flood with 40 new highlands for rhinos in the sanctuary
Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam has worsened with at least nine people being killed in the natural disaster. Over 662,000 people including women and children have been affected in 27 out of 34 districts of the state where the army, para-military forces, and national and local disaster response force personnel have joined the district administration in rescue initiatives.
The India Meteorological Department forecasts the continuation of enhanced rainfall activity over the North Eastern States during May 19-22, 2022. “A cyclonic circulation lies over Gulf of Martaban and adjoining Myanmar and extends up to 5.8 km above mean sea level tilting southwestwards with height,” Dr Sanjay O’Neill Shaw, Scientist ‘E’ at Regional Meteorological Centre of IMD said. (See video)
Dr Shaw said moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal is likely to continue over to Northeast India due to low-level Southerly/Southwesterly winds during 19-21 May 2022. Under the influence of this, widespread rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm/lightning and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places are very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam- Meghalaya, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura and thunderstorm/lightning and heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Meghalaya on May 19 and 21, 2022.
The pre-monsoon floods have damaged over 46,000 hectares of crop areas. More than 50,000 people are taking shelter in relief camps opened in the most affected districts of Dima Hasao, Hojai, Nagaon, Charaideo, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Darrang, Bajali, Baksa, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj. Meanwhile, the meteorological department has predicted more rainfall in the coming days.
The southern part of Assam remains out of road and rail communication affecting the essential service to Tripura and Mizoram too. Union home minister Amit Shah, while talking to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, assured all possible support to the flood-affected State. Sarma lately urged his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma to facilitate the smooth movement of relief goods and materials towards the flood-hit Barak valley. He also asked the Cachar district magistrate to stockpile essential food and other commodities for at least 15 days owing to the grim flood scenario. State ministers Keshab Mahanta, Pijush Hazarika, and Parimal Suklabaidya, visited many flood-affected areas and apprised Sarma about the ground situation.
The annual flood has also inundated northern parts of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Forest minister Suklabaidya informed that the authority has built 40 highlands inside the forest reserves for providing shelter to animals during the flood. Half of those highlands are erected in the abode of single horn rhinos on the south bank of Brahmaputra.
Kaziranga forest reserve director Jatin Sharma informed that the authority is prepared to face any eventuality because of the flood. The forest personnel are put on high alert, said the director, adding that vaccination of cattle and camp elephants were carried out in the last few weeks to prevent infection from domestic animals to the wild ones.
*Senior journalist
