Declare Assam floods as national problem: AAUA to Centre

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR, July 9: In connection with the devastating flood in Nowboicha Revenue Circle (RC), some organizations of Lakhimpur district came out on the streets to protest. After the district unit of Brihattar Asomiya Yuva Mancha (BAYM) burnt the effigies of Nowboicha MLA and Lakhimpur MP on Sunday for allegedly protecting the illegal encroachers blocking the Singara river basin, the Lakhimpur district unit of All Assam Unemployed Association (AAUA) initiated a two-hour long sit-in on Monday against the lackadaisical attitude of the public representatives, district administration and State Government in mitigation of the recurring flood problem caused by the river in the area.

Staging protest in flood-affected Dolahat Tiniali, the activists of the organization shouted various slogans demanding mitigation of flood and erosion problem across the district. “We have seen that no public representative has taken any firm and determined initiative to resolve the flood problem of the district. On the other hand, the MLA of Nowboicha LAC has ridiculed the flood problem caused by the Singara river. We condemn the public representative who is playing a game with the emotions of the public by ridiculing the burning problem. We warn him not to do so in future,” said Khirod Chetia, the Lakhimpur district secretary of AAUA.

Taking part in the programme, the State secretary of the organization also sharply criticized Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for his ‘failure’ in safeguarding jati, mati and bheti. “Realistically the Chief Minister is busy in securing his chair by flattering Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When he was AASU leader, Sarbananda Sonowal had demanded the Centre to declare the flood problem of Assam as a national problem. Now he has forgotten the demand. We urge him to pressurize the Union government so that it takes effective steps to declare the flood and erosion problem of Assam as a national problem. We also demand the Centre to revere the genuine demand of the flood-hit people,” said the State secretary of AAUA.

The organization submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Lakhimpur DC demanding the immediate plugging of the breached portion of Dolohat-Phoolbari PWD road, construction of guide dam by the PWD for safety, eviction of encroachers in Singara river basin, adequate supply of flood relief and pure drinking water to the affected people and livestock, and compensation for the flood victims of 2017.