‘Govt ignored Centre’s warning’
SHILLONG: The Oppos-ition on Tuesday flayed the Government for its failure to minimize the destruction caused due to the recent devastating flood in Garo Hills despite receiving early warning from the Centre.
As many as 52 people lost their lives in Garo Hills alone due to the flash flood on September 22.
In reply to a question by John Leslee Sangma (Ind), the Deputy Chief Minister in charge, revenue and disaster management R C Laloo admitted that an official communication about heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places was received from Union Ministry of Home affairs over phone.
The Deputy Chief Minister said while the deputy commissioners had intimated the concerned district officials and others, only the Deputy Commissioner of Nongstoin held meeting with the district officials on the matter on September 20.
Raising a supplementary question, John Leslee Sangma criticized the Government machinery for not making prompt steps to address the natural calamity.
Sangma also rued that the Government had failed to inform the legislators on the matter.
“If the Government had taken prompt measures, many lives would have been saved and there would have been less devastation”, Sangma said.
He also questioned the Deputy Chief Minister for his inability to provide answer to the question on the strength of disaster management team in the whole state . The disaster management team was activated on September 20 in Garo Hills.
The Deputy Chief Minister also said that that the first response of the disaster management team was to ” remain watchful and alert, supervise search and rescue operation and provided relief to the affected people”.
To a question by Jemino Mawthoh (UDP) on whether the Government undertook any hazard vulnerability study in the state, the Chief Minister intervened and said that there has been an exercise to deal with earthquakes to prevent any disasters as the state is vulnerable.
Saleng Sangma(Ind) raising a question, expressed concern over the delay on the part of the Government to take pro-active steps to deal with the flood situation.
To questions raised by HSPDP members Witting Mawsor and KP Pangniang , the Deputy Chief Minister said that while 52 people died in Garo Hills, 12 persons died in Khasi Hills and another 2 in Jaintia Hills.
He also said that more than Rs 21 crore was released by the State Government as part of relief and rehabilitation.