Assam: Inter-Ministerial Central team visits flood-affected areas in state

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: A high-level Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) visited Lakhimpur district on Saturday in order to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of damage caused by the recent flood.

As per the report, the team was scheduled to visit three districts of Upper Assam, viz., Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, and Majuli districts. The team was led by chief engineer Vandana Singhal, Ministry of Power, while the other members of the team were assistant executive engineer (Civil) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Mridul Buragohain, under secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Rahul Deo Diwakar, and Research Officer, Ministry of Fisheries Digambar Swain. On the other hand, ASDMA Project officers Kishore Dutta and Ankur Bikash Dev, Projects, assisted the team as Protocol officers. 

The recent flood affected Lakhimpur district critically due to the release of a huge amount of excessive water from the two hydroelectric projects, namely the 2000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP), being constructed by NHPC Limited at Gerukamukh in Dhemaji district, and the Ranganadi Hydroelectric Plant (RHEP), located at Yazali in Arunachal Pradesh and operated by NEEPCO, along with rising water levels in other major rivers of the district as of July 2. The Lakhimpur district is the worst hit in the state, with an inundation of 349 revenue villages under seven revenue circles, affecting 1,75,031 people. On July 6, the deluge hit 5,031 hectares of agricultural land, affected 74,318 livestock, and washed away three of them. A total of 39 houses were completely or partially destroyed in various flood-hit areas of the district. The flood also damaged 41 roads, two bridges, 10 bridge approaches of the Public Works Department, and four embankments of the Water Resources Department. In addition, 17 agricultural bundhs, check bundhs of Panchayat and Rural Development Departments were also damaged. The flood affected 29 schools, 25 Anganwadi centres, and four water supply schemes of the Public Health and Engineering Department in the district. The district administration set up five relief camps in the flood-hit areas and opened 81 flood relief centres to distribute food items.

 Arriving in Lakhimpur on Friday evening, the members of the high level IMCT held a review meeting with the district administration at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner's Office in the presence of the district officers of the government departments regarding flood damages. In the meeting, the flood scenario was presented to them through a PowerPoint presentation. On Saturday, the team inspected damaged bamboo foot bridges, PWD roads at Bordoibam Napam Chutiakari Koibarta Gaon, the affected fishery area at Bordoibam Tiniali-Napam Bebejia village, the affected crop area, agricultural land at Bordoibam Tiniali-Aroiya village, the affected Gogamukh-Ghilamara Road and other PWD roads by the River Champara under the Subansiri Revenue Circle, and the damaged bamboo foot bridge and affected PWD roads at Basudev Than Batsora Tiniali to Balijan Road under the Dhakuakhana Revenue Circle. Then the team went to Majuli district. During the visit to the flood-affected areas, district administrative officers, circle officers concerned, officers of the DDMA, and line departments.

Also Read: Assam: Floods recede but thousands of people still unable to return home (sentinelassam.com)

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