Declare Assam floods, erosion a national problem: Congress tells Centre

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on August 12 urged the Centre to declare the state's recurring floods and river erosion a "national problem", saying the scale of the crisis is beyond the capacity of the state government to address on its own.

A delegation led by Pranjit Das, chairman of the APCC Relief & Rehabilitation Department, met Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and submitted a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The memorandum said nearly 40 per cent of Assam's geographical area, covering around 31.05 lakh hectares, is flood-prone. This, it noted, is significantly higher than the national average of 10.2 per cent.

The Congress attributed the worsening crisis to factors including heavy siltation in the Brahmaputra and Barak basins, intense monsoon rainfall, shallow riverbeds, breaches in embankments and the effects of climate change.

According to the party, repeated flooding and erosion have severely affected farmers, daily wage workers and tea garden workers, while forcing large numbers of families from their homes.

The APCC called for a high-level task force involving officials from the Centre and Assam, scientists, technical experts and representatives of affected communities to work towards a long-term solution.

It also sought adequate central funding for a comprehensive master plan covering river course management, strengthening of embankments, scientific dredging, real-time flood forecasting, early warning systems and planned rehabilitation of displaced families.

The party further called for better coordination between central ministries for the integrated management of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

The demand came as Assam's flood situation showed some improvement on Wednesday, with the number of affected people falling to around 87,000 across four districts. However, the death toll rose to 103 after two more fatalities were reported.

The APCC said relief measures alone would not address the recurring crisis and called for a permanent, scientifically backed approach to floods and river erosion in the state.