Guwahati: The latest wave of flood in Assam has improved in the last few days restricting affected people within 1.25 lakh in flood-hit districts of Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat, where the death tolls rise to nearly 90. Over 200 villages remain inundated and thousands of families are taking shelter in relief camps, where Brahmaputra and many of its tributaries like Dikhow, Darika, Dhansiri, Bhogdoi continue flowing above the danger levels in various locations. Various agencies are engaged in rescue, relief and rehabilitation initiatives, where the local people from other parts of Assam marched to the affected districts with relief materials according to their capacities.
After days of interval, State chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reached the devastated localities once again and interacted with the families and reviewed the relief operations and rehabilitation initiatives on the ground. The government has already announced various welfare and rehabilitation schemes for the affected people. An interim assistance of Rs 15,000 was announced to over 75,000 families and ex-gratia payments for the fatalities up to Rs 9 lakh per family. The government officials will start visiting households from 9 August to assess the permanent damages. Moreover, a number of health camps are expected to be conducted in the flood-affected areas.
Now apprehensions are raised that if more rains hit the upstream areas of Nagaland once again in the coming weeks, the affected localities will face the disaster once again. Unless the Naga government in Kohima is taken into confidence by the Union government in New Delhi to deal with the environmental degradation, Assam will continue facing the problem here after too. Moreover, the low-lying areas must be accorded with scientific embankments, well-planned wetlands and improved drainage systems to combat the disaster to a larger extent. A comprehensive investigation to find out irregularities and fix accountability on individuals will also be necessary to address the issue pragmatically.
Improved Assam flood situation invokes many questions
