The Flooded State of Assam
With heavy rainfall and ten rivers flowing through its area, the state of Assam is prone to regular floods. Assam has a history of witnessing massive floods as it was flooded 11 times between 1954 to 2020. Although annual rainfall in Assam is declining, sudden and extreme rainfall is the cause of the floods in the area. Floods in 2020 were the most destructive floods the state has ever faced through the years. It caused landslides in the area and took the lives of at least 21 people. Moreover, 2,63,203 hectares of crops were destroyed. Around 45,000 cattle were either lost or abandoned as people left their farms and villages due to floods and a total of 315 villages were submerged. Covid and floods combined pushed 70% of the population of Assam into poverty. Floods also reached important sanctuaries and world heritage sites like Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and as per a news report by Huffpost India, around 125 animals including 12 rhinos died in these regions, while authorities rescued about 150 animals.