Jitendra Singh Alwar, All India Congress Committee (AICC) In-Charge for Assam, has sharply criticized the BJP government for its handling of the flood situation in Assam. In an interview with ANI, Alwar accused the government of neglecting the people's plight despite long-standing promises to address the flooding issue.
"The BJP has been promising for the last 10 years to put an end to the floods," Alwar said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Himanta Biswa Sarma have all made such assurances multiple times. However, the floods continue every year. They claim to have sanctioned crores of rupees, yet the situation remains unchanged."
Alwar detailed the dire conditions in the flood-hit areas, saying, "In this village, 4-5 feet of water has accumulated. People are not provided with clean water or essential food supplies like rice and pulses. The government shows no interest in the people's plight. So far, 30 lakh people have been affected, and 70 lives have been lost. Who is responsible for this?"
His remarks came after a team from the AICC and the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) visited flood-affected areas in Morigaon district and met with victims. Alwar highlighted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's involvement, noting that Gandhi had visited both Assam and Manipur and instructed Congress workers to assist the affected communities.
Alwar intensified his criticism of the ruling party, questioning the absence of its leaders during the crisis. "During election campaigns, they were everywhere. But now, where are they? The people are left to fend for themselves. This is both sad and shameful," he said.
He also emphasized that the Congress party would address this issue in parliament. "There shouldn't be any politics when it comes to flood relief, but if the government fails to fulfill its promises, we will raise our voices against them."
Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah also commented on the situation, stating, "More than 90 people have already died, and 30 lakh people are suffering due to floods. The government is not doing what it should. We visited the Jagiroad area, which is under Water Minister Pijush Hazarika, and the villagers have been in flood conditions for the last 15 days."
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to assess the flood situation. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the flood death toll has risen to over 90, with more than 5 lakh people affected across 18 districts. Cachar is the worst-hit district, and other affected areas include Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karimganj, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, and Sivasagar.
Additionally, 1,342 villages under 52 revenue circles are submerged, affecting 25,367.61 hectares of crop area. The Brahmaputra River is flowing above the danger level at Neamatighat, Tezpur, and Dhubri, while the Burhidihing River is above the danger mark at Chenimari (Khowang) and the Disang River at Nanglamuraghat. Over 58,000 people are currently sheltering in 172 relief camps and distribution centers across 13 districts, with 283,712 domestic animals also impacted by the flooding.
