Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday emphasised the need to work closely with Arunachal Pradesh and NEEPCO to control flood damages in northern parts of the state.
The Chief Minister, while reviewing the flood preparedness of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji during visits to the two northern bank districts, also stressed concentrating on expeditious rehabilitation measures.
"I have told the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) officials that the problems being faced by the people must be resolved and people of Lakhimpur district or those living near Ranganadi river must not face major difficulties. The NEEPCO has five switches to regulate water released from its dam. When the switches are in working condition, they can release water in a phased manner. Problems arise when even one of the switches is not working," Sarma told reporters at Lakhimpur.
Release of excess water from the Ranganadi Hydro Electric Plant of NEEPCO in adjoining Arunachal Pradesh annually leads to floods in the northern parts of Assam, especially affecting Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts.
There is a system of NEEPCO alerting the two districts when excess water is released so that the two district administrations, in turn, can warn the people, but the mechanism is yet to be fully evolved and made foolproof.
The chief minister further said another major problem for Lakhimpur is that about 10 villages are located on the Ranganadi riverside, which makes them more prone to instant flooding. "When villages are situated on the riverside, it becomes very difficult to help them or keep them completely safe from floods. The problems of the villages in the countryside are lesser compared to them," he said.
There are two major embankments in the area to protect the people from floods, but these are not so helpful for the riverside villagers. On the erosion problem, the chief minister said the deputy commissioner has briefed him on the situation and Sarma will himself go for on-field supervision during the next visits.
"Water Resource minister Pijush Hazarika had visited the erosion points. We have to work on resolving this problem," he added.
On relief and rehabilitation for flood-affected people in the state, Sarma informed that it has been decided to procure rice for distribution under Gratuitous Relief directly from the Food Corporation of India at the rate of Rs 21 per kg, instead of the earlier practice of buying from the open market at Rs 37 per kg.
Further, the deputy commissioners have been authorised to sanction and draw money from the treasury for rehabilitation purposes, like compensation for damaged houses or loss of cattle, he added.
In a separate meeting at Dhemaji, the chief minister directed the district administration to collect data of all rivers flowing from Arunachal Pradesh as well as rainfall data which would be helpful to pre-empt damages and negotiate with flood and carry out relief and rehabilitation exercises, an official release said in Guwahati.
In a bid to reduce the plight of the people suffering from flood, Sarma asked the Revenue and Disaster Management Department to explore the feasibility of setting up fixed pedestal shelters on the high-rise platforms, in consultation with DRDO.
Stressing on the necessity of complete mapping of roads vulnerable to floods, he asked the local administration to take immediate measures for the repair of such roads and restore communication. PTI
