ASDMA Prepares For Impending Floods, Additional Central Fund of Rs 520 Cr for Assam Approved

GUWAHATI: Taking a cue from the impact of the deluge last year, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) is gearing up its preparation with other line departments to deal with the impending floods this time around as the pre-monsoon period has already begun in the state.

Last year’s floods in Assam were the worst in the past decade, with over 88 lakh population affected and 181 people losing their lives, data from Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) revealed.

Almost all of Assam’s 35 existing districts reeled under the deluge last year. Floods in the state last year left a tale of huge loss in crops, property, animal and livestock as well as human lives.

ASDMA data revealed that a total of 838 people died in the floods in the state during 2013-2022, of whom 181 died last year alone. This is the highest human death toll in floods in a single year. A total of 160 human deaths were reported in 2017 while 122 perished during the Covid pandemic-hit 2020, with the death toll standing at 102 in 2019.

Under the chairmanship of Union home minister Amit Shah, the high-level committee (HLC) on March 13 approved the additional central assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to Assam as well as four other states which were affected by flood, landslides, cloudbursts and other natural calamities in 2022.

The HLC approved a fund of over Rs 520 crore for Assam while over Rs 47 crore has been earmarked for Meghalaya and over Rs 68 crore to Nagaland, among the northeast states. Over Rs 239 crore to Himachal Pradesh and over Rs 941 crore to Karnataka has also been approved. This additional assistance is over and above the usual funds released by the Centre to the states under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

Recent IMD data has revealed that Assam has received 48.2 mm rainfall till date in the current pre-monsoon season, which is calculated to be 34% more than the normal rainfall during this period, while the neighbouring state of Meghalaya received over 86 mm rainfall, which is 167% more than the normal. If the pattern continues, above normal floods might be on the cards.

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