Assam: Fresh wave of floods hits Majuli, Kaziranga

JORHAT: A fresh wave of floods hits the biggest river island of Majuli and Unesco’s World Heritage Site Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and

Tiger

reserve on Friday due to the rising of water level in the Brahmaputra at Neematighat in

Jorhat district

in the past 12 hours.

Officials of the water resources department and Jorhat district administration have rushed to Neematighat to take measures to protect the Brahmaputra embankment on its northern side.

Jorhat

deputy commissioner

Ashok Kumar Barman

visited Neematighat on Friday morning and took stock of the situation. Barman directed the water resources department officials to take all necessary measures to ensure protection of the embankment. He also visited the erosion-affected sites at Neematighat and asked the officials to ensure protection of the vulnerable locations during the floods.

The Majuli administration suspended

Neematighat-Majuli

ferry services from Friday. A district administration official in Majuli said, “More than 20 villages in the lower Majuli area have been affected by floods so far. However, the situation has taken a serious turn in the river bank areas located outside the embankment.”

Floods inundated Kaziranga National Park on Friday as the Brahmaputra swelled up at Neematighat. A forest official in Kaziranga said floodwaters have entered the park periphery. “The low-lying areas of the park have been submerged by the floodwaters. But the situation is under control,” he said.

A report by the

water resource department

on Friday said the water level of Brahmaputra at Neematighat was 86.82 metres, a metre higher than the danger level of 85.54 metres.

“According to the weather forecast, the water level is expected to rise in the next 12 hours,” he said.