Flood Disaster In Assam: Death Of Humans, Death Of Endangered Animals

Photo illustration (Marcus Call Col / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The rain continues to trigger severe flooding in the State of Assam, India. The floods killed at least 85 people, displaced tens of thousands of residents, and drowned rare wildlife in the national park.

Launching CNN, Tuesday, July 21, since May, severe floods have drowned thousands of villages on the banks of the overflowing Brahmaputra River. The floods also forced more than 145,648 people from their homes. And what is clear is that flooding has also hampered efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On Monday, July 20, 48,197 displaced citizens took refuge in 276 relief camps set up across the state. Meanwhile, others returned home after the floods had receded, according to Assam's State Disaster Management Authority.

Famous for its tea plantations, this northeastern state is hit by floods and landslides every year during the rainy season. However, this year's floods came as India was struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19.

India alone has recorded more than one million confirmed cases of COVID-19, the third highest in the world after the United States and Brazil. The virus has spread rapidly in Assam, infecting more than a thousand people every day for the past week.

In total, the floods affected more than 2.4 million people in 24 of Assam's 33 districts. The Assam government issues guidelines on preventive measures for COVID-19 in aid camps.

Refugees are required to maintain cleanliness and continue to carry out physical distancing as much as possible. These measures also include placing parents over 60 in separate areas. The name of this article is:

Authorities have also confirmed that they will continue to distribute masks and ensure supplies of soap and cleansers. The cleanliness of the camp sanitation is also maintained and there will be periodic swab tests according to the guidelines.

Threatening wildlife

Not only for humans. This flood is also a disaster for rare wildlife. The floods submerged the national park and killed more than a hundred wild animals, including dozens of rhinos.

Stretching more than 414 square kilometers on the floodplain of the Brahmaputra river, Kaziranga National Park is home to tigers, elephants and one-horned rhinos. One-horned rhinos were once nearly extinct due to being hunted or killed because they are often considered agricultural pests.

In the early 20th century, there were only about 200 one-horned rhinos left in the wild. But conservation managed to bring them back from the brink.

According to the World Wild Fund for Nature, some 2,400 one-horned rhinos currently live in the Kaziranga National Park. Accounted for two thirds of the total population in the world.

However, more than 80 percent of the park is now underwater and 113 wild animals have drowned. The National Park Authority only managed to save 140 animals, according to their report.