Floods in Kaziranga National Park: PM Modi Assures Help to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Kaziranga National Park in Assam is facing severe flooding, with 95 out of 233 forest camps submerged. Field Director Sonali Ghosh reported that rescue teams and veterinary units are on standby, and traffic diversions are in place to protect wildlife.
According to Ghosh, all 34 camps in the Agratoli range, 20 in the Kaziranga range, 10 in the Bagori range, 5 in the Burapahar range, 6 in the Bokakhat range, and 20 in the Biswanath Wildlife Division are underwater. A wooden bridge near the Moshguli Camp in the Agratoli Range was washed away by floodwaters on July 1.
Ghosh mentioned that herds of elephants are moving towards Karbi Anglong through the Hati Dandi corridor, and heavy traffic diversion has been requested for the NH 715 stretch under Nagaon and Golaghat districts. Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has also been issued.
Rescue materials, including boats, barricades, and medicines, have been deployed. Barricades have been placed on highways to control traffic and ensure the safe passage of wildlife. Animal sensors are operational, and joint patrolling by commando action groups and forest teams is being conducted regularly. Additional staff from neighboring divisions have been deployed to intensify patrolling.
A dedicated floodwater gauge station has been set up with support from the Central Water Commission (CWC), and a flood monitoring cell has been activated to provide real-time updates and coordinate rescue operations. Health check-ups for staff and elephants have been conducted to ensure they are fit for the flood season.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of full cooperation from the central government during a telephone conversation. CM Himanta briefed PM Modi about the floods triggered by heavy rains and the relief measures being taken by the state.
“Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji called me a short while ago to enquire about the flood situation in Assam. I explained to him that Assam is experiencing a second wave of floods this year due to heavy rains in Arunachal Pradesh and part of our upper Assam districts. I also briefed him about the relief measures undertaken by the state government,” Sarma said in a post on X on Monday, June 1. “He assured me of full cooperation from the Government of India in this hour of crisis,” he added.
