Dibrugarh (Assam) [India], June 14 : Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, on Saturday, visited the flood and erosion-affected areas of Balijan, Chabua in Dibrugarh, where he interacted with the residents and assessed the situation on the ground.
He also visited the Kordoiguri area in Tinsukia district to gauge the devastation caused by the floods.
During the visit, the Union Minister reviewed the precautionary measures being taken in the wake of the floods, as well as the steps initiated to curb riverbank erosion. He was accompanied by senior government officials who briefed him on the ongoing relief and mitigation efforts. Sonowal was accompanied by Pijush Hazarika, Minister of Water Resources in the Government of Assam.
Emphasising the importance of timely support, Sonowal directed officials to ensure that relief and rehabilitation measures for the affected communities continue without disruption.
According to the reports of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 20 people have died due to floods in the state this year so far, while six others died due to landslides.
On June 9, three children drowned in floodwaters at the Kamalpur area in Kamrup district.
Nearly 2.60 lakh people from 11 districts, including Hailakandi, Sribhumi, Morigaon, Kamrup, Goalpara, Cachar, Nagaon, Kamrup (M), Darrang, Lakhimpur, and Golaghat, are still affected by the deluge.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) flood report stated that 1,62,108 people are affected in Sribhumi district, while 51,663 people are affected in Hailakandi and 36,271 people are affected in Cachar district.
Almost 741 villages under 32 revenue circles are still affected in the first wave of the flood. And 6311.16 hectares of crop area are currently under water.
More than 31,000 people are still taking shelter in 130 relief camps and distribution centres in the flood-hit districts.
The ASDMA flood report also said that seven animals died due to the flood in Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve so far, and the park authorities rescued 31 animals.
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Hailakandi and Sribhumi districts, reviewed the prevailing flood conditions with district administrations and other line departments, and assured the affected people of all government help to restore normalcy once the flood water recedes.
During his day-long visit, the Chief Minister first visited several flood-hit areas in the Hailakandi district on Friday. He also visited relief camps set up at Kalinagar and Panch Gram and interacted with the camp inmates. While talking to them, he assured them that the government would provide complete support to assuage their sufferings.