Guwahati, Sep 5 (PTI) At least 17 persons were killed as flood situation in Assam turned grim affecting an estimated 12 lakh people in 18 districts with surging waters inundating the rhino homelands of Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary drowning a rhino calf.

With one more killed in Morigaon district, the toll rose to 17 in the third wave of floods which breached embankments and overrun large tracts of human habitation, official sources said today.

Most of the flood-hit people were forced to flee homes to take shelter in highlands and 189 relief camps.

Though there were signs of improvement in Majuli island most of the area was under water with its two main roads breached at Thakur Khute and Totoya while road links between Lower, Upper and Northern Majuli have been completely disrupted.

Over 1,33,700 hectare cropland has gone under water across the state, the sources said adding Rs 4096 lakh worth of standing crops were damaged in the floods.

The Army was assisting the government in providing relief to the affected people.

The situation in the Kaziranga National Park, Home of the one-horned rhino, critical as over 50 per cent of its area has been gripped by the flood and the waters submerged over 90 per cent of another rhino habitat Pobitara.

The 20 sq feet Pobitora area with the highest density of rhino population of 86,lost one rhino calf when it drowned in the flood waters rising upto waist level, the sources said.
Source : PTI