Assam needs over Rs 1,000 crore for flood relief: Himanta
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said more than Rs 1,000 crore may be required for repairing damaged properties and rehabilitating people affected by the latest wave of floods in the State.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured full assistance from the Centre in the rehabilitation process.
“To give permanent relief, a rapid relief assessment drive was launched on August 9. As per an initial report, over 8,000 families have been assessed, and Rs 150 crore damage has been estimated,” he said.
The CM said the assessment will continue till August 30 and is expected to cover 50,000-60,000 families in Upper Assam districts severely affected by the latest floods.
“I believe there will be spending of over Rs 1,000 crore in damage repair and rehabilitation. The PM has assured that there is no issue in paying the affected families and asked us to do the assessment without any lapse,” he said.
Sarma said the assessment would be conducted in multiple stages, with the final survey likely to be completed by September.
In several areas, including Nepalikhuti, Majgaon and Kamal Chapori, every house has suffered damage, he said.
“We are talking to the Centre and social scientists if a model housing scheme can be launched to rebuild their houses. The Assam Government is looking to find a permanent solution to such floods,” he added.
Acknowledging support from various groups in providing relief, Sarma said 72 YouTubers had raised funds for flood-affected people across the country.
“Many of them are already working on the ground and giving relief to the people. We are keeping a close watch on them whether they are spending the money for flood-affected areas or not,” he said.
Sarma also released Rs 11.3 crore for rebuilding 494 flood-damaged Anganwadi centres across Upper Assam.
“We want to restart these centres as soon as possible so that all services can be provided. Altogether 494 Anganwadi centres, which were damaged, will be rebuilt in this drive,” he said.
Each centre will receive up to Rs 2.5 lakh for restoration, he said.
The flood situation in Assam remained serious on Wednesday, with more than 1.12 lakh people affected across four districts amid a forecast of more rainfall.
Sarma said 64,891 flood-hit families had received Rs 15,000 each as initial assistance, while another 31,212 families would receive the aid in the coming days.
“From August 20, Rs 1.5 lakh each will be provided to affected Namghars, a place of worship for Vaishnavite followers, in flood-ravaged Sivasagar and Charaideo districts to rebuild the institutions. PWD has engaged 50 machines to clear the debris from roads,” he said.
Sarma said more than 26,000 micro-donations had been received in the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, in addition to larger institutional contributions.
“So far, we have received Rs 142 crore in CMRF. We will utilise this amount in the model housing colony,” he said.
The chief minister said the Water Resources Department would now have to focus more on the Brahmaputra’s tributaries, which have been causing increasing devastation in recent years.
“So far, the main focus has always been Brahmaputra. There are many hydro projects coming up in the Tibet region and Arunachal Pradesh. It will give some cushion to Brahmaputra’s floods. Now, we need to concentrate on the tributaries also,” he said.
The latest wave of floods in Upper Assam was primarily caused by the Dikhow, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. Other rivers, including the Dhansiri and Dorika, also contributed to the devastation.
