ASSAM: CM REVIEWS FLOOD CONDITION, ASSURES ASSISTANCE

In a recent development the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sinowal assured to provide special assistance to flood-hit Hailakandi district, Karimganj and Cachar districts of the Barak Valley.

Reviewing a high level meeting on flood relief and rehabilitation with the Deputy Commissioner on Saturday soon after his arrival from flood affected Karimganj district, Chief Minister Sonowal asked the Deputy Commissioner and heads of concerned departments to make a detailed assessment of the degree of damages and to submit reports to the government for necessary assistance.

The Chief Minister pinpointed departments like health, education, PWD, agriculture, water resources, public health engineering, veterinary and animal husbandry and power to submit assessment report of the extent of damages once the flood water recedes.

Terming his government 'pro-poor', the Chief Minister said the farmers whose agricultural lands were submerged by flood waters and those who lost their livestock, big or small, and other marginalised sections hit by floods must be compensated under different schemes. In this context, Sonowal made a clarion call to the Deputy Commissioner and heads of concerned departments to reach out to the flood affected people and to mitigate their hardships. "The people of the Barak Valley are in a state of shock because of the unprecedented deluge and they are in anxiety thinking as to what would happen to them as the monsoons would continue in the next three months. We have to visit the affected towns and villages to in still the confidence that we are with them at the time of crisis and will do everything possible to come to their aid," he quipped.

Viewing seriously that seven breaches occurred due to cutting in embankments, Sonowal said, "Awareness must be created by the district administration and water resources among the people that they should not resort to such practices as cutting in embankments to get temporary respite as their brethren downstream would be severely impacted by flood waters and they too would have to suffer the consequences in future." Of the 13 breaches, six occurred due to sudden increase in water levels and the rest to man-made factors.

In the same breathe, the Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioner to make an assessment of the number of defunct sluice gates along with estimate for releasing of necessary funds. "The sluice gates must be made functional or else people's faith will be eroded. They will not go in for cutting off embankments as it happened here, once the sluice gates are made functional," he added.

Minister Parimal Suklabaidya who was present pointed out that the woes of the people could have been lessened had the sluice gates in the three districts being functional. Of over defunct 500 sluice gates in the Barak Valley, 242 alone are in Hailakandi district.

The Chief Minister advocated the need to adopt best practices and modern technological interventions to tackle the twin problems of floods and erosion that plague the state every year. In the same vein Sonowal urged the state water resources department to tie up with the Governments of Mizoram, Arunchal Pradesh and Meghalaya for a comprehensive study of the flood situation during winter to gauge the impact thus enabling to formulate a master plan to combat the situation.

Appreciating the good work by the administration during the deluge, Sonowal said, "I congratulate the Deputy Commissioner and the entire team for the good work you all have done during the floods”. However, you should not rest on the laurels but continue the good work. You should make all-out preparedness taking into account the many lessons learnt from the recent deluge to tackle any exigency in the days ahead, as three months are still to go before the rainy season gets over. We will extend all possible support and cooperation," he quipped.