Guwahati, July 26 (PTI): Floods in Assam claimed five more lives on Friday, taking the toll in the state to 80 even as water levels in all the affected districts receded further, an official report said.
Around 27.15 lakh people in 2,078 villages of 17 districts have been affected by the deluge.
Of the five deaths, two were from Baksa district while one each was reported from Barpeta, Cachar and Biswanath, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said in its report.
Altogether 768 relief camps and 161 relief distribution centres are operational in the 13 affected districts.
The rivers flowing at danger level are the Brahmaputra at Neamatighat (Jorhat) and Dhubri, the Jia Bharali at N T Road Crossing (Sonitpur), the Puthimari at N H Road Crossing (Kamrup) and the Beki at Road Bridge (Barpeta), the ASDMA said.
Two rhino carcasses found in flood-hit Pobitora sanctuary
The carcasses of two rhinos have been found from Assam's flood-hit Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary which had recorded no animal deaths because of inundation even four days ago, an official said.
Forest Protection Force in Pobitora recovered the carcass of a rhino calf from the flood waters near Amaramul Camp inside the sanctuary on Friday, its ranger said.
The forest guards had also found the carcass of another rhino calf on Wednesday from the sanctuary which was flooded by the Brahmaputa, he added.
The cause of the death of both the animals was drowning in the flood inside the sanctuary, said the forest official.
The entire Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, the densest habitat of one horned rhinos in the world covering an area of 46 sq km, was completely submerged by the flood waters forcing its wild animals to leave for the nearby highland, the ranger said.
Over 100 rhinos living in the sanctuary have been facing serious problems as there is no green grass or sufficient food for these endangered species, forest department sources added.
On Monday, state Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said the personnel and volunteers at the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary have done an impressive job by keeping the number of animal death toll at zero this time.
On the same day, the forest department had said the calamity has claimed the lives of 187 animals, including 16 rhinos, in the Kaziranga National Park.
