India's swollen Brahmaputra river recedes after deadly floods

The swollen Brahmaputra river in India's northeastern Assam state started receding on Wednesday (August 23), bringing respite to the province ravaged by floods for nearly a month now.

Days of torrential rains had caused the mighty Brahmaputra, which flows fromChinadown to Bangladesh through India, to burst its banks, reportedly killing over 180 people and swamping 19 districts, affecting 700 villages and 300,000 people.

A Central Water Board official, Shadiq Ulhaq said the river was flowing much below the danger levels and the water was receding by 9 to 10 centimeters on a daily basis.

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Flood waters of the Brahmaputra river had earlier in July submerged the Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary, home to the world's largest population of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros. The floods have since killed more than 350 animals, including 24 endangered one-horned rhinoceros, five elephants, and a tiger.

Torrential rains have also hit the eastern Bihar state, killing in the eastern state of Bihar, at least 253 people.

Flooding is an annual problem during the monsoon season in South Asia, but the impact is worsened by crumbling civic infrastructure, clogged drains and uncontrolled urban expansion.

Annual rainfall is essential in India as rains support two-thirds of the 1.3 billion population living in rural areas who rely on farming.

But excessive rainfalls cause problems like floods andlandslide