Flood situation improves in Assam

GUWAHATI: Following a halt in rain, Assam’s flood situation showed signs of improvement on Saturday in terms of decrease in number of affected people but the death toll due to drowning increased to six after one more person died at Kampur in Nagoan district.
According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA, the number of affected people has come down to 3,72,471 from 3,81,320 on Friday. The number of affected districts also fell from seven to six on Saturday after Dibrugarh district was taken off the list. Similarly the number of inmates in relief camps has also come down to 17,770 from 21,807 on Friday.
Meanwhile, the 15th Finance Commission has included river erosion in the list of natural calamities, which has come as a big boost for the state as this would bring in more financial assistance from centre to mitigate the problem and rehabilitate the affected population.
Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that in response to Assam government’s plea, the 15 th Finance Commission accorded river erosion as a natural calamity and recommended for adequate compensation including rehabilitation under SDRF and NDRF.
“Central government has asked the state to submit a detailed report incorporating the details of those victims in the state who rendered landless and homeless due to erosion,” Sonowal said adding that his government is preparing a detailed report for the same to be submitted to the Centre.
Exuding confidence he said, “This would ultimately bring to an end to the long pending problem that the people of Assam have been going through owning to erosion.”
Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given never before importance to the flood and erosion of the state and affected a phenomenal increase of Rs 772 crore under SDRF, Sonowal said that as a part of allocation, state government has already received Rs 386 crore.
“Besides, flood and erosion, State government has released substantial amount to look after other calamities that the districts might go through. Necessary instructions have been given to the district administrations for providing quality food, medicines, baby food, fodder etc to the flood and erosion hit people living in the relief camps,” he said.
Sonowal also said that the people of Assam at present are fighting against various calamities like COVID 19, flood, cyclone and African Swine Fever.
“Strict instructions were given to water resources department to repair the breaches in the embankments so that they (embankments) can sustain their capacity as deterrent to flood. Though COVID 19 and the subsequent lockdown have hampered the progress of the repairing work, during relaxation, the government agency has undertaken the process of repair and protection work on a full throttle,” he added.