Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched a comprehensive plan to tackle the devastating floods affecting the State, aiming for swift relief and long-term rehabilitation.
“Three waves of floods occur in Assam. No matter what, we are committed to assessing the damage and providing relief to affected households by August 15,” CM Himanta announced, underlining the urgency to assist those affected. The government plans to completely restore all damaged public infrastructure like educational institutions, Anganwadi Kendras, roads, embankments by March 2025.
Regarding financial resources, Dr Himanta assured that the State has Rs 1,300 crore from the Central Government, with ample funds available to assist affected communities. “We are well-equipped but we need to extend generous support to those in distress within norms,” he emphasised, urging district officials to ensure generous distribution of aid.
We aim to do a comprehensive damage assessment soon and provide succour to households by August 15.
We also aim to completely build back the damaged public infrastructure by March 2025 pic.twitter.com/kW9nmONolR
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 4, 2024
असम सरकार के पास लोगों की सहायता के लिए पर्याप्त पूंजी है। माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी ने हमें आश्वासन दिया है कि भारत सरकार हमें जरूरत पड़ने पर और सहायता प्रदान करेगी। pic.twitter.com/QTHxYN2ohw
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 4, 2024
The current floods, triggered by a cloud burst in Arunachal Pradesh, have resulted in extensive infrastructure damage across Assam. The CM underlined the importance of timely communication and cooperation between States to mitigate losses. “Shared information allows us to prepare and minimise damage,” he stressed.
The current floods situation is due to the cloud burst which occurred in Arunachal Pradesh.
In case of such natural disasters, no human intervention can stop it. But we do share timely information to be prepared and minimise losses, which was done between the two States. pic.twitter.com/03rMS9HPLG
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 4, 2024
In response to the crisis, Dr Himanta will visit Barak Valley for 3 to 4 days soon and has deployed Cabinet Ministers to various districts to oversee relief efforts.
As per Assam Cabinet decision on July 3, Ranjit Kumar Dass will be stationed in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, Jogen Mohan in Charaideo, Bimal Bora in Sivasagar and Jorhat, Dr Ranoj Pegu in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur, Pijush Hazarika in Biswanath, Sonitpur and Darrang, Ajanta Neog in Golaghat, Atul Bora in Nagaon and Morigaon, Jayanta Malla Baruah in Majuli and Nandita Gorlosa in Udalguri.
“The entire State Government stands in solidarity with the people of Assam during this challenging time,” he affirmed.
Highlighting the need for proactive measures, Dr Sarma personally inspected flood-affected areas in Guwahati and subsequently will visit Majuli and other areas, highlighting his commitment to managing relief operations on the ground. The government’s strategy aims not only to provide immediate relief but also to ensure comprehensive rehabilitation and infrastructure restoration across the State.
Earlier today, CM Himanta shared an overview of the flood situation in Assam from May to July 3, providing key statistics.
There are a total of 47 flood-related deaths across the state, including 1 in urban areas. In terms of infrastructure damage, 40 embankments were breached, 60 embankments were affected, 922 roads were damaged, and 52 bridges were damaged. The most affected districts by population are Nagaon, with 386,479 affected people, Karimganj, with 262,330 affected people, and Darrang, with 191,698 affected people.
Sharing a cumulative update on the #AssamFloods pic.twitter.com/SYkWGaoB0f
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 4, 2024
“In natural disasters like these, human intervention alone cannot prevent them,” the CM noted, highlighting the need for infrastructure development like big reservoir in upstream areas of Arunachal near China border to mitigate downstream impacts in neighbouring States like Assam. He praised the cooperation with Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan in sharing timely information, essential for preparing and minimising losses.
Despite these efforts, Dr Himanta Sarma acknowledged the challenges posed by the volume of water flowing into Bangladesh, beyond Assam’s control. “Our role is to provide timely information about the water flow,” he concluded, emphasising the importance of regional cooperation in disaster management.
