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FloodWaTers Recede in Both States; Survivors in Assam Wait For Relief Material While Those in Garo Hills Limping Back to Normalcy
Heavy rains over the last three days have triggered severe floods in Assam and Meghalaya.jpg
NEW DELHI: The waters have receded in the states of Assam and Meghalaya where the flash floods and landslides, triggered by heavy rains forced tens of thousands to leave their homes and affected more than eight lakh people. <
br/> While the crisis-hit people in Assam are struggling to survive waiting for relief material to reach them while those in Garo Hills are slowly limping back to normalcy.
The death toll in Meghalaya has touched 39 while the floods in Assam has taken as many as 32 lives since Monday. The devastating floods have also damaged several bridges, swept many roads and inundated numerous houses in many districts of the two north-east states.
Amidst such a grim situation in both the states, the state governments are allegedly absent from the ground.
In Assam, the victims are accusing the government for lack of assistance and relief on the one hand. On the other, the affected people also alleged stealing and hoarding of relief materials, in the Goalpara district, the worst-hit in the floods.
The situation in the neighbouring state of Meghalaya is no better. The government there also, unheeding, is busy signing peace pact with the ANVC in Delhi. The worst-ever tragedy in the state which has left thousands displaced doesn't find a place in the the State government's priority list.
The Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi has moved to the Centre seeking additional assistance to tackle the 'grim and critical' flood situation in his state. Stating that efforts were to rescue those marooned in Goalpara, Dhubri, Kamrup (where 12 bodies were recovered from Boko today) and Kamrup (metro) districts, he asked Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of central assistance.
Further, former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta told the media in Guwahati that the Centre has adopted a 'step-motherly' attitude towards the long-pending demand of declaring the state's annual floods a national calamity.
'We want to know the policy the Modi government wants to adopt to prevent floods in Assam,' Mahanta said.
The state is on high alert even though the water level of all the rivers and rivulets are receding. Officials said that the rehabilitation of the affected people would take several months as gushing water from the Garo hills has completely damaged houses.
The flood bulletin of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority today said a total of 1,38,540 people were taking shelter in 18 relief camps in seven districts. Altogether 8,15,620 people have been affected by floods in 715 villages in 11 districts, it added.
The Army, along with the NDRF and SDRF are carrying out relief operations in full swing. Even the Air Force helicopters have been pressed into service to assist the other forces.
In Meghalaya, the situation is marginally better.
The flood-hit districts are slowly coming back to life. In Tura, people were seen queuing up at one of the fuel stations.
Meghalaya Speaker Abu Taher Mondal, Tura MP Purno Agitok Sangma and sports and youth affairs minister Zenith Sangma toured the affected areas.
Mukul Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya had said that these floods were the worst in recent memory, adding, that the inclement weather was hampering the rescue operations in the state.
Peter W. Ingty, the commissioner of division (Garo hills), took stock of the situation in Resubelpara in North Garo Hills. He will take part in a review meeting on West Garo Hills tomorrow.
The relief material like ration, drinking water, candles have been transported to the affected districts and the PDS suppliers also have been asked to hold buffer stocks of the foodgrains.
In West Garo Hills, over 1,50,000 people have been affected, spread over 200 villages. 'We have submitted an interim report to the government, specifying damage to infrastructure at Rs 312 crore, said West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi.
National Highway 51, which was closed for the last three days after landslides between Rari, Anogre and Bajengdoba, reopened yesterday. This highway is the main link between Tura to Guwahati and Shillong.
'For now the road is open for small vehicles. It will take a few days to restore communication for heavy vehicles,' said the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner.
br/> While the crisis-hit people in Assam are struggling to survive waiting for relief material to reach them while those in Garo Hills are slowly limping back to normalcy.
The death toll in Meghalaya has touched 39 while the floods in Assam has taken as many as 32 lives since Monday. The devastating floods have also damaged several bridges, swept many roads and inundated numerous houses in many districts of the two north-east states.
Amidst such a grim situation in both the states, the state governments are allegedly absent from the ground.
In Assam, the victims are accusing the government for lack of assistance and relief on the one hand. On the other, the affected people also alleged stealing and hoarding of relief materials, in the Goalpara district, the worst-hit in the floods.
The situation in the neighbouring state of Meghalaya is no better. The government there also, unheeding, is busy signing peace pact with the ANVC in Delhi. The worst-ever tragedy in the state which has left thousands displaced doesn't find a place in the the State government's priority list.
The Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi has moved to the Centre seeking additional assistance to tackle the 'grim and critical' flood situation in his state. Stating that efforts were to rescue those marooned in Goalpara, Dhubri, Kamrup (where 12 bodies were recovered from Boko today) and Kamrup (metro) districts, he asked Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of central assistance.
Further, former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta told the media in Guwahati that the Centre has adopted a 'step-motherly' attitude towards the long-pending demand of declaring the state's annual floods a national calamity.
'We want to know the policy the Modi government wants to adopt to prevent floods in Assam,' Mahanta said.
The state is on high alert even though the water level of all the rivers and rivulets are receding. Officials said that the rehabilitation of the affected people would take several months as gushing water from the Garo hills has completely damaged houses.
The flood bulletin of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority today said a total of 1,38,540 people were taking shelter in 18 relief camps in seven districts. Altogether 8,15,620 people have been affected by floods in 715 villages in 11 districts, it added.
The Army, along with the NDRF and SDRF are carrying out relief operations in full swing. Even the Air Force helicopters have been pressed into service to assist the other forces.
In Meghalaya, the situation is marginally better.
The flood-hit districts are slowly coming back to life. In Tura, people were seen queuing up at one of the fuel stations.
Meghalaya Speaker Abu Taher Mondal, Tura MP Purno Agitok Sangma and sports and youth affairs minister Zenith Sangma toured the affected areas.
Mukul Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya had said that these floods were the worst in recent memory, adding, that the inclement weather was hampering the rescue operations in the state.
Peter W. Ingty, the commissioner of division (Garo hills), took stock of the situation in Resubelpara in North Garo Hills. He will take part in a review meeting on West Garo Hills tomorrow.
The relief material like ration, drinking water, candles have been transported to the affected districts and the PDS suppliers also have been asked to hold buffer stocks of the foodgrains.
In West Garo Hills, over 1,50,000 people have been affected, spread over 200 villages. 'We have submitted an interim report to the government, specifying damage to infrastructure at Rs 312 crore, said West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi.
National Highway 51, which was closed for the last three days after landslides between Rari, Anogre and Bajengdoba, reopened yesterday. This highway is the main link between Tura to Guwahati and Shillong.
'For now the road is open for small vehicles. It will take a few days to restore communication for heavy vehicles,' said the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner.
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