GUWAHATI: Floodwaters have started receding in Assam, but thousands of people affected by the deluge continue to remain displaced.
Till Monday night, 68 people died in the floods while over 4.45 lakh remained affected in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, Golaghat, Nagaon and Kamrup (Metro) districts. Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat are the worst-hit.
Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary said the MLAs had agreed to contribute one month’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The Raijor Dal, which has two MLAs, did not make any commitment. Its president and Sivasagar MLA, Akhil Gogoi, has been busy for the past few days, providing relief to the affected people.
Numerous organisations and individuals from across the state have stood by the affected people, distributing relief materials such as food, water, clothes, medicines and sanitary napkins.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the MPs from Assam and discussed the prevailing flood situation. “The Centre is working closely with the Assam government in assisting those affected. I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being,” he posted on X.
The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on Tuesday petitioned the PM, demanding that Assam’s flood and erosion problem be declared a national problem. The AASU said the problem warranted sustained national commitment and intervention for a permanent solution.
The organisation further demanded that Centre announce a special economic package for the severely affected Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts to ensure comprehensive relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
It urged the government to constitute a high-level fact-finding committee, comprising independent experts, to ascertain the causes of the catastrophe and prepare a time-bound roadmap for a permanent and scientific solution.
Further, the AASU urged the PM to visit the flood-affected areas of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat at the earliest.
“The people of Assam have witnessed your frequent visits to the state during election campaigns. At this hour of unprecedented suffering, they equally deserve your presence, solidarity and assurance,” the AASU said.
“The people of Assam cannot be left to endure this recurring tragedy year after year. The time has come for decisive national action rather than temporary relief measures,” it further stated.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said as the floodwaters began to recede, the government’s focus was expanding from relief to restoration. He said food, tarpaulins, cleaning supplies and other essentials were being distributed to help families return home and rebuild their daily lives.
“During a crisis, our response must be guided by compassion, not bureaucracy. I have directed that post-mortems be waived off for flood victims to spare families’ further anguish. Ex-gratia assistance will be released at the earliest, with no avoidable procedural delays,” Sarma posted on X.
