GUWAHATI, July 20: The flood situation in Assam continued to improve, with the affected population reducing to 1.30 lakh in 10 districts, as a central team concluded a three-day visit to assess the damage from this year’s two waves of deluge, official sources said on Saturday.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has urged the visiting team to declare the two waves of floods as ‘calamities of severe nature’ and recommend the release of Rs 500 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on an interim basis.
An ASDMA bulletin said 1,30,888 people in 23 revenue circles and 423 villages across 10 districts currently remain affected. The affected districts include Kamrup, Morigaon, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Nagaon, Dhemaji, Goalpara, Kamrup Metropolitan, and Cachar. Nagaon is the worst-hit, with 72,864 people still reeling under the deluge.
The number of affected people was 2.07 lakh in 10 districts on Friday, with the toll from this year’s floods, landslides, lightning, and storms remaining at 113.
A total of 9,258 displaced people are currently sheltered in 46 relief camps, while 18 relief distribution centres are serving 21,041 affected people. Crop land of 8,623.9 hectares remains inundated, and 19,327 animals are affected.
The Brahmaputra River is flowing above the danger level in Dhubri and the Disang River in Nanglamuraghat. The ASDMA bulletin also reported damage to embankments, houses, roads, and other infrastructure across various districts.
An ASDMA statement added that an eight-member high-level Inter-ministerial Central Team (IMCT) from the Central government concluded its three-day visit to various districts to assess flood damages. The team, led by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Mihir Kumar, wrapped up their assessment after discussions with senior state government officials.
The IMCT, divided into two groups, visited the flood-affected districts of Dibrugarh, Majuli, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi. They interacted with local officials and visited flood-damaged sites.
The central team assessed the damages and loss of livelihood and property in a meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Ajay Tiwari.
Speaking on the impact of the floods, Tiwari noted that Cyclone Remal triggered the first wave, and the state has been hit by two waves of floods affecting people, livestock, and wildlife alike.
Kumar elaborated on the team’s on-ground assessment and highlighted the severe inundation of agricultural lands caused by the floods. He commended the preparedness of the districts and state government, as well as the prompt and effective relief operations undertaken in the flood-affected areas.
Addressing the meeting, ASDMA CEO Gyandendra Dev Tripathi requested the IMCT to declare the two waves of floods as calamities of severe nature and to recommend the release of Rs 500 crore from the NDRF on an interim basis.
The meeting was attended by officers from various departments, the Indian Army, and the NDRF. Deputy Commissioners of flood-affected districts also joined virtually to share their issues with the IMCT, the ASDMA statement added. (PTI)
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