From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Ravaged by devastating flash floods of two rivers – Gai-nadi and Jiadhal — flowing down from Arunachal Pradesh, the affected people in Dhemaji district in Assam plains demand a separate flood relief law replacing the existing Flood Relief Act of 1976 to facilitate adequate relief to flood hit people in the area that is facing a perennial threat of flood and erosion.
Taking up the cudgel on behalf of the flood-hit, RTI activist and a member of Team Anna, Akhil Gogoi, the general secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) said a new flood relief Act should be enacted in Assam soon as the existing Act allows only distribution of only 600 gm rice to every flood-hit adult and 400 gm for every flood-hit minor per day.
He said there should be a new Act that would facilitate compensation of Rs 30,000 against every pair of bullock lost due to flood, Rs one lakh against every flood-damaged thatched house, Rs 4 lakh against every pucca house lost. He also said the state government should provide a government job to the next eligible kin of those killed due to flood. Flood and erosion have been a curse for people and farmers of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur districts and Majuli island of Assam where thousands of hectares of crops land have been either gobbled up rivers or lost due to massive sedimentation.
The latest wave of flash floods first triggered on August 15 last by Gai-nadi and Jiadhal rivers left a trail of destruction in Dhemaji district where 261 villages inhabited by over 1.54 lakh people were devastated while standing crop on over 20,000 hectares of land were damaged. Agriculture lands of a large number of families have been destroyed for good because of heavy siltation caused by the flash flood.
