Rijiju conducts aerial survey of flood-hit Assam, ministerial group of Centre to visit soon

The union minister visited the flood-affected districts of Majuli and Dhemaji and took stock the overall situation.

Rijiju, with a team comprised by NITI Aayog, NDMA, Home ministry and NDRF arrived at Lilabari airport in Lakhimpur district on Thursday morning.

Rijiju said that, he will submit a preliminary report to the Centre and a ministerial group of Centre will visit the state soon.

“The Assam government has already taken effective measures to rescue the flood-affected people with the help of NDRF and provided sufficient relief materials. Centre will help the state government to tackle the situation,” Rijiju said.

Meanwhile, the union minister accompanied by state water resources minister Keshab Mahanta also chaired a review meeting with the police officials after visiting the flood-affected areas in Dhemaji and Majuli district.

The current flood situation is slipped out of control as the flood waters inundated more areas in the state and the water levels of Brahmaputra river and its tributaries flown over danger level marks in various areas following incessant rains in the state and other neighbouring states in past couple of days.

Over 1.74 million people of Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Darrang, Jorhat, Golaghat, Cachar, Dhemaji, Biswanath, Karimganj, Sonitpur, Majuli, Barpeta, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivsagar, Morigaon, Chirang, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, South Salmara, Charaideo, Goalpara, Kamrup, Hailakandi and Karbi Anglong district have been affected in the current flood as the flood waters submerged 86,223.19 hectares agricultural land of 2450 villages under 82 revenue circles.

Over 3.06 lakh people have been affected alone in flood-hit South Salmara district along with Bangladesh border, while 2.16 lakh got affected in Lakhimpur, 2.23 lakh in Morigaon, 1.70 lakh in Dhubri, 1.24 lakh in Nalbari.

On the other hand, a total of 28,937 people of 17 districts are homeless due to the flood and have been forced to take shelter in 382 numbers temporary relief camps set up the administration.

On Thursday, the current flood claimed five more lives in Golaghat, Nagaon, Lakhimpur and South Salmara district taking death toll mounted to 49.

The current flood claimed 11 lives in worst affected Lakhimpur district, while 8 in Kamrup (Metro), 4 each in Jorhat, Golaghat, 3 each in Nagaon and South Salmara, 2 each in Sivsagar, Sonitpur, Karimganj and one each in Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Majuli, Nalbari, Barpeta, Goalpara, Cachar, Dima Hasao, Hojai and Morigaon district.

The rescue teams of NDRF, SDRF and district administration have rescued 10,716 people of flood-hit 17 districts on Thursday.

On the other hand, Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh on Thursday called Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and expressed concern over the damage caused by the devastating floods in Assam.

He also conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s deep anguish for the loss of lives and properties in the current wave of floods in the State.

The DoNER minister also informed that PM Modi has entrusted him with all responsibilities to extend all possible help from the Centre and help the state tide over the impact of this catastrophic flood.

Expressing his deep concern over the flood caused by the torrential rains in the State as well as upper reaches of the Brahmaputra, Singh said that, the Centre is very much with the people of Assam at this time crisis and assures all possible help to normalise the situation.

Sonowal also directed the Resident Commissioner, Assam Bhawan, New Delhi to liaison with the DoNER Ministry and furnish an exhaustive account of the loss in terms of lives and properties incurred during the current flood.          

It may be noted that Centre has all along been in touch with the state in the matter of facing flood crisis.

After concluding his foreign trip,  Modi spoke to Assam Chief Minister, enquired about the flood situation and assured all help to the state to deal with the crisis arising out of flood.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to Sonowal and expressed his concern over the flood and declared Centre’s help to the State.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)