Flood situation in Assam be declared as national problem: Congress MP

A Congress lawmaker on Monday demanded to declare flood situation in Assam as "national problem" and urged the government to send a Central team to assess the situation in the north-eastern state.

Raising the issue of the alarming flood situation in Assam during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Congress's Ripun Bora also urged the government to send a union minister to take stock of the situation.

"To combat the havoc caused by floods in Assam, which is going on for the last 10 days, a team of experts from the Centre should immediately be rushed to guide and help the state government. One responsible Union Minister must also go there to take stock of the situation," he said.

He said the floods have become a regular phenomenon and people of Assam have to face this problem every year.

"The Brahmaputra River originates from China, goes to Tibet and Bangladesh. As this River goes to three different countries, the Assam government does not have that much capacity to deal with the flood problem, which has become a recurring problem. So, the flood situation in Assam should be declared as a national problem," he said.

Bora, who is also chief of Congress's Assam unit, said for the last two years, the Calamity Relief Fund and the Disaster Management Fund due to the Assam government have not been released by the Central government.

"So, the funds should immediately be released, he added.