Assam floods: Death toll reaches 50

Guwahati: While flood situation in Assam improved on Friday, death toll in the current wave of flood has increased to 50. Flood has affected 48,87,443 people.

On Friday an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale rocked Northeast India. It had its epicentre in Arunachal Pradesh's East Kameng district. However till now there is no report of any casualty due to earthquake.

Flood waters in several districts are receding around 3,705 number of villages in 92 revenue circles of 27 districts are witnessing flooding.

Presently, 755 numbers of Relief Camps are operational and there is 1, 47,833 inmates staying in the relief camps and 304 Relief Distribution Centres are operating.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal took stock of the flood situation in Majuli and also inspected Geo Bag erosion prevention work at Dakhinpat Kumar Gaon. He also visited the embankment at Opholamukh damaged by this year’s floods and directed the Brahmpautra Board and Water Resource officials to complete the erosion prevention works on war footing.

The chief minister said fund had been released beforehand this year to all districts for flood management and there had been no scarcity of fund. Informing about the highland construction by state government at Kaziranga National Park which had provided succour to animals during this year’s flood, Sonowal said that the central government had been extending full cooperation in combating floods and a permanent solution to the perennial problem would be found with the assistance of central government.

Later, taking part in the flood review meeting with district administration and officials of various departments at the Circuit House, the chief minister said that works under the Rs 240 crore worth of “Protection of Majuli Island from Erosion of River Brahmaputra” scheme implemented by Brahmaputra Board had been substandard and strictly directed the officials of the Board to ensure quality of the works.

He also instructed to carry out the repair and strengthening work of vulnerable portions of 114 kms of embankments in Majuli without delay and assured swift fund release for the same.

Directing the Public Works Department to repair all the roads and bridges damaged by floods, Sonowal issued instruction to Health and Family Welfare Department to organise regular health camps at flood affected areas for preventing spread of diseases post flood and for containing diseases such as Japanese Encephalitis.

He also urged the Public health Engineering Department to ensure clean drinking water to the flood affected people and directed the Agriculture Department to prepare rice seedlings for distribution among the farmers. He also directed the department to correctly assess and submit a report in the right format so that fund for the damages can be released for the flood affected farmers. He also instructed the Veterinary Department to hold regular camps for animals and provide cattle feed.