Over 575 people affected due to floods in three districts of Assam

Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 12 : In the first spell of the flood, as many as 575 people including 97 children from three districts of Assam have been affected.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three districts - Udalguri district, Biswanath Sub-Division of Sonitpur district and Cachar district have been affected by the flood.

575 people including 97 children from 10 villages under three revenue circles have been affected by the flood.

150 hectares of cropland under the Gohpur revenue circle and the Kalaigaon revenue circle are currently underwater.

The flood waters have breached five embankments (three in Darrang district and one each in Lakhimpur district and Biswanath Sub-Division), damaged the infrastructure of seven roads and flood waters inundated a few schools, Anganwadi centres.

On the other hand, ASDMA stated that, flash floods in several parts of Silchar town in the Cachar district due to heavy rainfall.

In view of the onset of the Monsoon and the possibility of rain-induced flood across the state, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday held a video conference with the DCs and other senior officers of the state administration to put in place all necessary steps and ramp up flood preparedness and response system.

In a video conference from his office chamber in Janata Bhawan in Guwahati today, Chief Minister Sarma said, "With the monsoon setting in, in the state, all the government departments including NHAI, NHIDC, NDRF and SDRF should become alert to negotiate with the flood and reach out to the affected people."

The Chief Minister asked the Principal Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management Gyanendra Dev Tripathi to take steps for prepositioning of NDRF and SDRF personnel in vulnerable districts especially in Dima Hasao.

He also asked ASDMA to activate risk communication and early warning systems to warn the people against the potential threats of the flood.

In the event of flood water submerging the low-lying habitable areas, the Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to set up relief camps and streamline relief distribution in even the relief distribution centres.

He asked the DC to take all necessary steps to visit the embankment breach areas of the last year to do the vulnerability mapping and take precautionary measures accordingly.

He also asked the DCs to make the geo bags available in adequate numbers in the vulnerable areas. He asked the DCs to assess the available stock of food materials and the availability of buffer stock and fodder stock in their respective districts.

Moreover, referring to the damage caused to the embankment in the Cachar district last year which caused a catastrophic flood in the district with a very widespread impact on Silchar town and its adjoining areas, the Chief Minister asked the DCs to have a vigil and if required area domination to avert any unscrupulous elements causing harms to embankments which might lead to large scale flood.

While taking stock of the availability of doctors and medicines to address any medical issues in flood-affected areas, the Chief Minister asked the DCs to hold meetings and prepare a contingency plan for their respective districts.

CM Sarma also asked the DCs to keep doctors and nurses in the relief camps to attend to any medical emergency of the camp inmates.