NEW DEHLI, KATMANDU, ISLAMBAD (NNN-AGENCIES) – Widespread flooding across India and Nepal has affected nearly 7 million people and killed at least 175, but the monsoon rains have eased, bringing some relief, officials said Tuesday.
In India’s worst-hit state of Assam in the north-east, as many as 4.3 million residents have been affected – including being displaced, stranded in their homes, or suffering damage to crops and livelihood, officials said.
“Assam has seen one of the worst floods in recent times. The rains have stopped and it is now sunny in Assam so we hope the floods will recede,” said senior state official Kumar Sanjay Krishna.
Assam’s Kaziranga National Park, home to the endangered great one-horned rhino, is among the areas flooded, with animals fleeing the park to escape the water. Some 23 animals have drowned in the park, local media reported.
The floods have submerged 30 of the state’s 33 districts since July 10, forcing 83,000 people to take shelter in 494 government relief camps.
“Water came in the dead of the night and washed away my home and crops,” 80-year-old Bano Khatun told the NDTV network.
“We have seen several devastating floods in the past but we rebuilt everything. But the water came in a rush this time, leaving us homeless. What’s worse, the government is doing nothing about it.”
In the eastern state of Bihar, major rivers were flowing above the danger mark, affecting an estimated 2.5 million people, government data showed.
Overall, 82 people have been killed in drownings, house-collapses and rain-related accidents in seven Indian states since July 10, which includes 25 deaths in Bihar and 15 in Assam.
At least 78 people were killed and 32 went missing in neighbouring Nepal, according to the federal home ministry.
Efforts to distribute relief material and clear highways blocked by landslides have now begun thanks to a let-up in the rains, officials said.
In Bangladesh, 16 people died in lightning strikes and flooding at the weekend, officials said. The storms also hit refugee camps housing Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, at least 24 people were feared dead due to flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains on Monday. Teams were continuing rescue efforts but no survivors had been found by Tuesday, officials said.
Every year, floods triggered by monsoon rains cause widespread death and destruction across South Asia. The deluge also forces large numbers of people to flee their homes.
NNN-AGENCIES
