TURA, June 10: Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma on Friday held a review meeting to assess the situation in the flood-hit Garo Hills region.
The meeting held at Tura was attended by the deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and district officials of the three affected districts of West Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills.
The district officials apprised the chief minister on the relief measures being undertaken at their respective jurisdictions while informing that the situation in most areas was returning to normal as the flood water was receding.
The floods have caused damages to road infrastructure, houses and property in the three districts and agriculture and farming activities have taken a hit, the officials told the CM.
Sangma instructed all officials to actively engage and extend all possible assistance so that emergency relief measures reach the flood-affected people at the earliest.
He instructed officials of the concerned departments to expedite the process of restoring power lines and road connectivity which have been cut off due to heavy rain and landslides.
Noting that floods are a regular phenomena during the monsoon season, especially in the plains belt of West and South West Garo Hills, Sangma asked the DCs to find a suitable location for setting up prefabricated structures that will serve as permanent relief camps to house people during the monsoon.
“They can be repurposed for other activities at other times,” he said.
The CM later visited Tura Civil Hospital and handed over the ex gratia to the next of kin of a family that lost three lives in a landslide at Gambegre area of West Garo Hills.