Over 5.65 lakh people are still affected across several districts and the flood situation was further aggravated in Assam on Wednesday after 21 more people lost their lives, making this year’s death toll at 31. State authorities say heavy rains across several areas have worsened flooding, with most of the agricultural fields, roads and homes getting damaged.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on his visit to some affected places, including Sivasagar in Upper Assam, met the affected families and interacted with them to check the relief operations underway.
Sarma said that he had announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the families of everyone who died in the floods during his visit. He pledged the state government to support Rehabilitation process and seriously work to restore their livelihood once the situation is better.
While addressing complaints about the delays in distributing relief to the affected areas, the Chief Minister said that service at many villages was hampered by the inability to reach them because of roads turning into water bodies and communications being disrupted.
He said rescue and relief squads have not yet gained entry to several villages cut off by the floodwater. Sarma also said that the current air-dropping of relief materials was not possible, but relief efforts would be provided as soon as the situation improves.
He, however, insisted that any relief that displaced people need is readily available at the government’s relief camps where they are getting food and other basic needs. The Government of Assam has confirmed that they will be conducting rescue, relief and rehabilitation exercise till the end of the flood and the situation returns to normal in all the flooded districts.