Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Saturday claimed the current wave of floods in the state has been caused by an unprecedented spell of rainfall rather than conventional riverine flooding, with over 400 per cent excess rain leading to widespread devastation across villages and towns.
Addressing reporters after reviewing the flood situation with senior officials and deputy commissioners of the affected districts, Sarma said nearly 11 lakh people in more than 2,000 villages have been affected, while the administration continues to intensify relief and rescue operations.
“The scale of the floods this time is unprecedented. It was not the conventional flooding, but a sudden 400 per cent-plus excess rainfall that resulted in such large-scale devastation,” the Chief Minister said.
Describing the overall situation as “grim”, Sarma said ministers have been deployed in flood-affected districts to supervise relief work and coordinate with local authorities.
He added that he would revisit the worst-hit areas over the next two to three days to assess the ground situation.
According to the Chief Minister, over 41,000 people are currently staying in 162 relief camps set up across the state. He said the government has distributed more than 14,000 quintals of rice, 2,000 quintals of dal and 58,820 litres of mustard oil, besides other essential relief materials, and the distribution drive is continuing in affected areas.
To strengthen rescue and relief measures, the state government has released more than Rs 111 crore to district administrations, with additional financial assistance to be provided wherever necessary, Sarma said.
He directed officials to remain on high alert as several rivers continue to flow above or close to the danger mark. Mobile medical teams from the Health and Animal Husbandry departments have also been deployed to prevent disease outbreaks and provide treatment to affected people and livestock.
Sarma said he would hold discussions with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force to improve access to marooned villages and enhance aerial relief distribution.
He also announced that a Central team would soon visit Assam to assess the flood damage, while state assessment teams would begin uploading real-time loss data through a mobile application.
Expressing confidence in the state’s resilience, the Chief Minister said Assam would overcome the crisis with the support of the Centre and assured that every affected family would receive assistance in rebuilding their lives.
(IANS)
