Severe flooding caused by torrential rains in northeast India has resulted in the tragic loss of at least four lives, as confirmed by government disaster officials on Wednesday.
Government statistics show that over a million individuals have been affected by the floods.
While monsoon rains typically lead to widespread devastation annually, climate change is being pointed to as a factor in the shifting weather patterns and the rise of extreme weather occurrences, according to experts.
Authorities managing disasters in the northeastern state of Assam have reported 38 fatalities since mid-May due to heavy rainfall, which has triggered floods and landslides in the region.
India’s meteorological department has issued warnings for Assam and adjacent states, cautioning about the potential for additional flash floods.
The flooding has caused severe damage to roads in Assam, prompting the airforce to carry out a rescue mission for 13 fishermen who were stranded on an island.
A significant portion of the Kaziranga national park, recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site and home to the largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses globally, has also been submerged by the floods.
Arun Vignesh, a park official, mentioned, “Forest guards are on high alert. Hundreds of animals have been seen moving across the highway in search of higher ground.”
In addition to India, vast areas in Bangladesh have also been inundated following the overflow downstream from India’s northeast region.
Given that much of Bangladesh consists of low-lying deltas formed by the gradual flow of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers towards the ocean, the region frequently faces deluges and flooding during the monsoon season.
Last week, Nepal experienced the loss of at least 14 lives due to landslides, lightning strikes, and flooding triggered by heavy rainfall.
Bangladesh mourned the deaths of at least nine individuals in a landslide occurrence in June, while Sikkim, an Indian state situated in the Himalayan foothills bordering China, reported six casualties as a result of flash floods and landslides in the same month.
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