Assam flood: CM Sarma visits relief camps, ravaged areas, educational institutions in Sivasagar

He assured the flood-affected people that the Government of Assam stands firmly beside every affected family during this difficult time and will extend all possible assistance for their rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday visited a relief camp for flood-affected people in Sivasagar district and several ravaged areas and the premises of educational institutions affected by the calamity. The Chief Minister is on a five-day visit to Upper Assam to assess the recent flood disaster. He first visited the relief camp set up at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology campus in Sivasagar, where he took stock of the condition of the camp inmates and interacted with them.

He asked the district administration to ensure adequate food, safe drinking water, healthcare services and all essential facilities for children, elderly persons and women staying at the camp. At the relief camp, Sarma handed over cheques of Rs 5 lakh each as one-time financial assistance to the next of kin of 10 persons who lost their lives in the devastating floods.

He assured the flood-affected people that the Government of Assam stands firmly beside every affected family during this difficult time and will extend all possible assistance for their rehabilitation and reconstruction. It may be noted that the relief camp is currently sheltering 563 people from 162 families, including 35 children, 267 men and 261 women.

Speaking to the media after visiting the relief camp, the Chief Minister said that over the past two days, he had visited flood-affected people in the districts of Sivasagar and Charaideo and taken stock of their situation. He informed that Union Minister J P Nadda will visit Upper Assam tomorrow to assess the flood situation and interact with the affected people.

Stating that the government has undertaken all possible measures to assist people affected by the floods, the Chief Minister said that a survey to assess permanent losses in all four flood-affected districts will begin on August 9. Compensation will be disbursed to the affected people after the completion of the survey. He further stated that the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the floods have already been provided Rs 4 lakh each under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), while an additional Rs 5 lakh each is now being provided from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

Thereafter, Chief Minister Sarma visited several flood-affected areas of Sivasagar district to assess the situation and assured all possible assistance and support from the government to the affected families. He inspected several waterlogged and mud-covered areas by travelling in tractors and rubber boats.

The Chief Minister visited flood-affected areas including Rajabari, Dihirgaon, Dhai Ali-Darikhat, Kakpathar-Kukurpuhia and Banmukh, where he interacted with local residents and took note of their problems. Travelling by rubber boat, he also visited the flood-affected and marooned areas of Panbecha, Hatimuria, Betena, Dhupaboria, Tatipathar and Luruki, conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the damage and took stock of the difficulties faced by the local people.

Reiterating that the government stands beside every flood-affected family, the Chief Minister assured that relief, rehabilitation and compensation measures would be undertaken on a priority basis so that the affected people can return to normal life at the earliest. The Chief Minister also visited the flood-affected premises of Sivasagar Girls College and Phuleswari Girls Higher Secondary School.

During the inspection, Sarma laid special emphasis on strengthening the drainage system of the Jamuna to minimise the impact of artificial flooding in the area in the future. He gave necessary directions to the district administration and the concerned departments to restore normal conditions at the educational institutions at the earliest.

The Chief Minister stated that the Government of Assam will continue to work with full commitment to restore normal life for flood-affected people and ensure the speedy restoration of essential infrastructure. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta, Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika, Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Bora, Water Resources Minister Sushanta Borgohain, MLAs Taranga Gogoi and Akhil Gogoi, along with several senior officials of the administration, were present during the Chief Minister's visits to the flood-affected areas and educational institutions. (ANI)