Torrential rains continue to trigger devastating floods and landslides in northern and northeastern India, resulting in at least 11 fatalities and impacting hundreds of thousands, officials from affected states reported on Tuesday.
Fatalities in Uttar Pradesh
In Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, nine individuals tragically lost their lives in rain-related incidents within the past 24 hours, according to an official bulletin. The region has been grappling with exceptionally heavy rainfall.
The northeastern state of Assam is enduring a second wave of flooding since June 16th, affecting over 600,000 people across 19 districts and displacing more than 8,000 residents, as per a state disaster management statement. Two further fatalities were reported in Assam on Monday.
Kaziranga National Park Submerged
Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a sanctuary for nearly 2,200 one-horned rhinos—representing two-thirds of the global population—is also underwater. Over half of its 233 camps are flooded, leading to the drowning of four hog deer, officials confirmed.
A local resident, Faizul Islam, shared his plight with news agency ANI, in which Reuters holds a minority stake, stating, “The flood water has now entered my house.
The water has damaged my paddy and crops. I have a family of five and I have to take shelter here. If the situation worsens, I will lose my house.”
Visuals of Destruction
Images from ANI depict inundated fields and roads throughout Assam, as residents desperately relocate their belongings and furniture from waterlogged homes.
The flood situation in the neighboring northeastern region of Bangladesh is rapidly deteriorating due to persistent rain and upstream water flow from India. Tens of thousands of people are stranded, officials reported on Tuesday.
Authorities in the southeastern region of Chittagong are using loudspeakers to warn residents about the elevated risk of landslides triggered by heavy rains and offer assistance with evacuations, according to government official Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakruzzaman.
Widespread Devastation and Forecast
India’s northeast and Bangladesh have been ravaged by floods over the past two months, leaving millions displaced. Weather authorities predict that the situation may worsen.
Incessant rains in Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Assam and China, have forced school closures in the capital, Itanagar, until the end of the week.
The country’s weather office has issued forecasts for more rain in the region over the next three days, raising concerns about further flooding and its impact on residents and infrastructure.