Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma toured flood-ravaged districts of Sivasagar and Charaideo on August 4. Two more deaths occurred in Sivasagar, pushing the total toll to 89. Over 1.28 lakh people remain affected across six districts, with Sivasagar seeing 55,000 impacted, followed by Charaideo with 35,000 and Jorhat with 20,000. Relief efforts struggle against high Brahmaputra water levels stalling drainage.
Sarma waded through waist-deep water to reach marooned residents at Phuleshwari School. He was joined by Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi. Gogoi, usually a sharp critic, praised the move. He noted, "Today, I held the Assam Chief Minister's hand and made him walk through waist-deep floodwater. He is a very powerful man and an expert. I have not seen any chief minister till date who can move through water like this. I have to give him credit."
Government assessment teams begin measuring damaged homes on August 9. Nearly one lakh beneficiaries are already identified for aid. Sarma rejected calls for Rs 10 lakh compensation, citing financial realities. He did hand out checks totaling Rs 9 lakh to families of the deceased, combining State Disaster Response funds with Chief Minister Relief Fund payouts. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma sent Rs 1 crore to aid the response effort.
Mining remains a flashpoint. Activists blame coal and stone extraction in Nagaland for flash floods. Sarma insists Assam lacks jurisdiction to stop Nagaland mining. He plans to involve the Centre for inter-state discussions. He also ordered the National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited to add cross-drainage structures to fix water flow blockages. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda arrives Wednesday to review the crisis. Ministers Pijush Hazarika, Bimal Bora, and Sushanta Borgohain joined the survey team. Sarma spent his visit checking relief camps, including the Rajiv Gandhi Institute site, while promising long-term rehabilitation.
Comments