‘Centre, states need better coordination to handle flood’
Guwahati: The Central government will announce a package of assistance for the flood-hit Assam and Meghalaya after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from the US visit. It was announced here on Saturday by the Union minister of state for home and disaster management, Kiren Rijiju who made an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts of both the states.
Moved by the extent of devastation and the plight of the flood-hit people, Rijiu and assured that there would be no dearth of central funds and support for both the state governments to deal with the post-flood exigencies.
“The situation is very serious. There has been extensive damage all over. I have seen with my own eyes thousands of damaged houses. Roads and bridges have been badly damaged too. I assure, there will be no dearth of central funds and support to tackle the situation,” Rijiju said immediately after making the survey.
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju also said there should be better and faster coordination between the central and state agencies in handling floods, besides strengthening of disaster forces.
After doing an aerial survey of flood-hit Goalpara, Kamrup Rural and Dhubri districts in Assam, Rijiju said “firstly, the information of the forecast and dissemination of impending danger or natural disaster or calamity should reach faster to the states and ground level officials. That we will ensure. Secondly, we need to strengthen our forces.”
He said handling of the flood situation should have been more efficient and he was personally looking into it and following up the matter. “So I hope our entire effort will bring some respite to the affected people,” he said.
When asked specifically if he was happy at the way the state government was handling the latest wave of floods, the minister said “it is being done very well, but nothing is 100 per cent satisfactory because we always want it to be more efficient…I am not saying that there was laxity in the operation, but we need to have faster coordination network.” Rijiju said people in Goalpara felt that the rescue teams should have reached earlier.
He informed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh would visit Assam and Meghalaya on October 1 next to take stock of the flood devastation while the Centre would definitely make an announcement for tiding over the post-flood situation after the prime minister returns from his US visit.
Talking about his assessment of the flood situation in Assam, Rijiju said the impact of this natural disaster was very heavy and “we have heavy loss of life”.
“We have received the preliminary report of the damage, but we are yet to assess the total extent in terms of cost which I have already told the local administration to make as early as possible,” he said.
On strengthening of disaster response force, Rijiju said the union government was planning to have one more permanent centre in the North East apart from Guwahati.
Rijiju said “we had to bring four teams of NDRF from other regions. NDRF has one centre in Guwahati. I am planning to have one more centre in the North East. We’ll decide on the basis of geographic location. Guwahati will take care of its surroundings and we’ll decide one more location very soon.”
“The rescue operation is completely over. Now it is the operation for relief and very soon we’ll start the process of rehabilitation,” Rijiju said.
When asked if he would recommend declaring the latest wave of floods as national calamity, the minister said any disaster was a national problem.
Currently, 12 teams of NDRF have been deployed for the floods in Assam and Meghalaya, each comprising 50 members.
The union minister said ” What is more important is how to deal with the problem on ground. For natural calamity, we don’t look from how we should give it a name but rather how we should tackle the situation.” On blames and counter blames between the state and union governments regarding central treatment, Rijiju said “natural calamity is a moment of tragedy. There is no place for politics in moment of tragedy. We are working as a team.”
The flood situation in Assam remained grim with 40 persons losing their lives so far. Nearly 10 lakh people were affected with Kamrup Metro and Goalpara becoming the worst-hit.
Flood-hit orphans get shelter in SOS village
The four children, Namita Kumari, Bhanita Kumari, Nayan Kumar and Rupam Kumar, who lost their parents in the current wave of flood at Boko in Kamrup district of Assam would be moved to SOS Chilren’s Village at Azara on the outskirts of Guwahati soon.
This was disclosed by Special Officer to Chief Minister, Rakhi Chakraborty who went to meet the four orphaned children at Boko at the directive of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Friday.
The state government will bear all the expenses for their education and upbringing of these children. (With inputs from PTI)