Assam CM assesses flood-related damages in Dibrugarh

Guwahati, Jul 5 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited several flood-hit areas in Dibrugarh district, including urban town areas, to assess damages caused by breaches in embankments.

Sarma also interacted with people affected by the floods, reassuring them of support through relief efforts and medical facilities.

He started his visit by assessing the urban flood situation in Dibrugarh town, which has been grappling with severe power shortages for the past nine days.

The chief minister was seen walking through the flooded H S Road and Mahalaya Road in the town, engaging with the affected residents.

The town is facing the problem of urban flooding due to clogged drains and with the level of River Brahmaputra flowing above the danger level, there are difficulties in draining out the water, he said.

The affected people urged the chief minister to restore the power supply, while he pointed out that it had been switched off to ensure that there were no mishaps due to electrocution.

Sarma, however, directed the district commissioner to restore the supply by making public announcements so that people would be careful and remain indoors during the period.

He assured the people that as soon as the water on the streets dried, the state government would ensure that the clogged drains were cleared to allow the flow of water, smoothly.

"We will be engaging experts and the residents to find a community-driven solution to the problem of inundation in Dibrugarh town," the CM said.

The chief minister then inspected the embankment breach at Khowang with River Burhi Dihing's water inundating 30 villages and assessed the damages in the area.

He also visited the Ghumtal area of Tengakhat where another embankment of River Buridihing was breached.

He assured the people that besides repairing the embankments, steps will be initiated to strengthen those.

''The embankments will be repaired initially with the help of geo-bags but there is also a proposal to build a strong embankment on River Buridihing with funds from the Asian Development Bank,'' he added.

Regarding the opposition Congress party's allegations of breach in embankments, Sarma retorted that these were constructed during their (Congress) rule.

''If we start pointing out figures, then more than 350 embankments were breached in 2004. This is not the time to do politics,'' he added.

The chief minister also visited a relief camp in Tengakhat and assured the people that all help would be provided to the displaced people. They would be given food and clothes, and their damaged homes would be repaired at the earliest.

''The ongoing flood has displaced many people who are now sheltered in relief camps and during the visit to a camp in Tengakhat, I instructed that a sick person should be immediately shifted to Assam Medical College Hospital while fresh clothes should be provided to the people taking shelter there,'' he added.

He directed the district commissioner to provide all help to the affected people.

Sarma also noted down the phone number of an elderly person and assured her that he would call her to find out whether she and others had received the necessary relief materials from the administration.

In Tengakhat, floodwater hampered connectivity and homes have been damaged, he said.

''We are working on a war footing to ensure connectivity is restored at the earliest," the chief minister said.

"The optimism I see in our children is the biggest inspiration amid this grim situation,'' the chief minister said as children taking shelter in a relief camp sang songs when he visited. PTI DG SBN DG SBN