Assam: Chief Secretary Calls for High-Level Meeting to Address Flood Situation

GUWAHATI: With the monsoon about to start in Assam, the state's Chief Secretary, Ravi Kota, held a high-level meeting in Guwahati on Monday (April 29) to review the state's preparedness for flooding.

Senior officials from state government departments and key stakeholders attended the meeting.

Chief Secretary Kota also assessed the readiness of districts for flooding by speaking with District Commissioners (DCs) via video conference during the meeting.

Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, the Principal Secretary of the Assam Revenue and Disaster Management Department, briefed the Chief Secretary and other stakeholders on the state's preparedness ahead of the rainy season.

Tripathi also explained the guidelines for receiving help from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the allocation of financial authority and budget allocations for the financial year 2024-25 under the main categories of expenditure.

Meanwhile, the Civic Data Lab (CDL) gave an online demonstration of an Intelligent Data Solution for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDS-DRR) that they developed for the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) to enhance flood resilience.

Chief Secretary Kota recommended that the CDL explore ways to collect combined data to improve 'Disaster Response' in addition to resilience and flood preparedness. The meeting also involved making several decisions regarding flood response for the upcoming rainy season.

During the meeting, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) reported that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) will release the updated forecast for Assam by the end of May.

The Public Works Roads Department (PWRD) proposed to investigate the option of repairing and restoring roads using different financial methods, while including specific aspects in coordination with the finance department, based on the current norms of the SDRF and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for repairing damaged roads.

UNICEF stated that they will help the Assam government assess one-third of the model relief camps that will be established in each revenue circle of the state, ensuring they meet minimum service standards.

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