The Assam Government has submitted estimated a loss to the tune of Rs 2,939 crore due to the recent floods that have affected over 25 lakh population in 29 districts of the State.
Assam Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia said this while addressing the media before the Inter Ministerial Central team, who have arrived in the state today to assess the overall flood damage. The team will visit different flood affected areas of the state in two groups before winding up their visit on July 28, he said.
Hailing the arrival of the Inter ministerial team, Pipersenia said that this is for the first time that the Inter Ministerial team had arrived the state before submission of a detailed memorandum by the State Government over the damage.
“Assam Chief Minister has requested the Prime Minister to send an Inter ministerial team at the earliest so that they can conduct as on spot assessment of the damage caused by the deluge,” he said adding that the Inter ministerial team will also interact with local people during their visit to the flood affected people.
Terming the recent wave of floods as a devastating and unprecedented one, PIpersenia said that while 20 embankments have been breached and 1012 roads have been damaged due to the deluge, the floods have also breached several roads, and destroyed bridges across the State.
He said that Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has also suggested to the Central Government to convert the close to 5,000 kms of embankments in the State to roads cum embankments not only to strengthen them but also to prevent the annual floods.
“We have close to 5,000 kms of embankments in the State. All those have been constructed in 1950s. Although the Government has been taking up temporary measures to strengthen those, no permanent measures have been taken all these years. If the Central Government accept the proposal to convert those embankments into roads cum embankments, it will be a permanent solution to the annual problem,” he said.