GUWAHATI: The Assam government will soon request the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to carry out a survey for mapping the landslide-prone spots in the state.
Informing this on Thursday, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal also directed the deputy commissioners of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts to constitute landslide monitoring and response teams at the revenue circle level.
The directive comes in the wake of rain-triggered landslides claiming 21 lives in Barak Valley last Monday for which the state government plans to bring in a mechanism to avert such mishaps in future.
Sonowal asked the deputy commissioners of each district of Barak Valley to evacuate people from the landslide prone areas to safer places.
The chief minister further directed the deputy commissioners to press their men and material to help flood and erosion affected people. He urged the administration to provide good quality relief items to the affected people and make available medical facilities, drinking water etc in the relief camps.
Assam is currently grappling with two-pronged problems of COVID-19 pandemic and natural calamities like floods and landslides.
The chief minister also asked the deputy commissioners to adequately follow social distancing protocols while taking steps to keep the flood affected people in the relief camps.
Sonowal also provided financial assistance to the next of the kin of those killed in Monday’s landslides.