Assam floods: 23 lakh affected in 29 districts, water levels show signs of receding | India News – Times of India
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday visited relief camps in Kamrup district to assess the impact of the ongoing floods and ensure that relief materials were distributed properly to the affected residents. During his visit, Chief Minister Sarma interacted with displaced families and assured them of new housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
“Due to floods in Assam, houses of many families have been damaged and they have come to our relief camps. Today, I met some such people at Palashbari and have been directed to provide them new houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY),” Assam CM posted on X.
The Chief Minister assessed the conditions in the area as the state continued to grapple with the devastating floods. He stressed the importance of safety and hygiene in the relief camps, saying, “Safety and hygiene of relief camps is our priority. My team is reaching out to all the people staying here to gather real-time feedback,” as posted on X.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that the severe flood situation in Assam has claimed 58 lives in the state in the past month. On Saturday alone, six people lost their lives, taking the death toll to 58 from 52. Dhubri district was the worst hit, followed by Cachar and Darrang.
The devastating floods have caused significant damage, including loss of life, extensive damage to infrastructure, road closures, crop destruction and loss of livestock. Many people have been displaced and left homeless.
On Sunday, Assam Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika assessed the flood-affected areas in Darrang district. He said, “There have been four embankment breaches in Assam this time. There has been a lot of destruction on the river bank. We are closely monitoring the situation. We are helping our people. We are providing adequate relief to the flood-affected people. The water level of the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries is now coming down and I think in the next 5-7 days it will be a good scenario. The destruction is less compared to the previous floods. In the second wave of floods, there were only four breaches. People living on the river bank have been badly affected.”
Hazarika also mentioned the government’s plans to build 220 km of new embankments in the state this year, with a target of reducing the unbanked areas to 120 km by next year. He stressed the government’s commitment to maintaining and strengthening existing embankments.
BJP MP Dilip Saikia said both the central and state governments were taking all necessary measures to help the flood victims. He highlighted the regular visits of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to the affected areas and the close monitoring of the situation by Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Saikia also pointed out the significant increase in budgetary allocation for the water resources department under the BJP rule, from Rs 200-250 crore during the Congress tenure to over Rs 2,500 crore now.
Meanwhile, residents of several Char (riverine) areas in Darrang district such as Misamari Char, Borochar, Egarachi Char, Bogmari, Hatipori, Alga Char, Hatiala Cha, Chatiara, Deka Char and War Char are struggling to cope with the aftermath of the floods.
With roads submerged, country-made boats have become the only means of transport for locals in about 15-20 villages near the Brahmaputra River. The district administration said 1,609 hectares of agricultural land has been submerged by flood waters.
Many people in Darrang district affected by the floods have taken shelter on roads and embankments as their houses remain submerged.
