Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed the Ministers of his Cabinet to immediately rush to all the flood-affected areas to take stock of flood situation and step up relief and rescue operations ensuring proper facilities at relief camps.
A total of 22 people have been killed due to flood that has taken a serious turn in Assam in last one week even as over four lakh people of the State continued to be marooned in 17 districts of the State till Friday, said a statement issued by the Assam Government.
The Chief Minister directed reviewed the flood situation with the Minister and top officials in his official residence on Friday and issued instructions to them to rush to the flood-affected areas immediately. As per Chief Minister’s direction, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora will visit Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat while Environment and Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma will go to South Salmara and Goalpara.
Similarly Water Resources Minister Keshav Mahanta was directed to visit Nagaon, Morigaon and Hojai, PWD Minister Parimal Suklabaidya to visit all districts of Barak valley, Irrigation Minister Ranjit Dutta and Cultural Affairs Minister Naba Kumar Doley to visit Dhemaji, lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Biswanath and Majuli, PHE Minister Rihon Daimary and Revenue Minister Pallab lochan Das to visit all the districts of lower Assam.
The Chief Minister directed the Ministers to assess the damage caused by flood & erosion and also to interact with the affected and take stock of their needs. The Chief Minister further referred to the difficulties faced by people due to potholes on roads and directed the PWD Minister to complete repairing of all roads of the State within the current month.
Keeping in view the damages caused by erosion during flood, the Chief Minister directed the Water Resources Minister to take necessary steps including ensuring availability of anti-erosion materials for prompt action at affected sites. He also directed the Water Resources Minister to take measures for procurement of dredger for excavation of river bed apart from preparing plan for anti-erosion adopting latest technology.
It may be noted that the current spate of flood besides affecting 49 revenue circles and 993 revenue villages covering 17 districts took a toll on more than 4,25,000 people. Affected villages include lakhimpur, Jorhat, Golaghat, Cachar, Dhemaji, Biswanath, Karimganj, Sonitpur, Majuli, Barpeta, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar and Morigaon where Government has opened 84 relief camps housing 22, 641 inmates so far.