Assam on the brink of flood disaster

Assam’s flood situation showed little signs of abating on Sunday, as Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi took a two-hour aerial survey of the affected areas and ordered to step up rescue and relief operations.

Gogoi also ordered all the ministers to visit flood-hit districts and monitor the relief operations.  More than 1000 villages in 15 districts are still marooned in the floods triggered by incessant rains in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Bhutan. The disaster has affected six lakh people and claimed 13 lives so far.

Gogoi went on the aerial survey with Chief Secretary V K Pipersenia, State Disaster Management Authority chairman P K Tiwari and other officials. Speaking to reporters later, he said the state is yet to receive any central assistance.
“We have submitted memoranda to the Central Government, including the Prime Minister and Home Minister, but have not received the funds to build infrastructure damaged in floods last year,” Gogoi said.

He said his government is giving priority to rescue and relief operations, noting that he had asked district deputy commissioners to specially care for women and children.

Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) sources said Brahmaputra is flowing above level in Jorhat, Tezpur, Kamrup, Goalpara and Dhubri. There are several rivers that are still flowing above flood levels in worst hit lower Assam. 1.53 lakh people are still in 238 relief camps in the state.

Roads, irrigation and power infrastructure has been totally damaged in lower Assam, while bumper harvest on nearly 50,000 hectres of agricultural land has been washed away over the week.