Assam CM sends 8 ministers to flood zones, death toll reaches 22

With the flood situation worsening across the state, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday asked eight of his Cabinet colleagues to visit the flood affected areas immediately and take stock of the situation.

With reports of three more deaths, the total death toll in this year's floods reached 22 across the state on Friday.

The Chief Minister reviewed the flood situation with his Cabinet colleagues and directed them to immediately rush to the affected areas and step up relief and rescue operations ensuring proper facilities for flood affected and relief camp inmates.

While Agriculture Minister Atul Bora will visit Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat, Environment and Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma will go to South Salmara and Goalpara. Water Resouces Minister Keshav Mahanta was directed to visit Nagaon, Morigaon and Hojai, Public Works Department Minister Parimal Suklabaidya will visit all districts of Barak valley, Irrigation Minister Ranjit Dutta and Cultural Affairs Minister Naba Kumar Doley will visit Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Biswanath and Majuli, Public Health Engineering Minister Rihon Daimari and Revenue Minister Pallab Lochan Das will visit all the districts of lower Assam.

The Chief Minister directed the ministers to assess the damage caused by the floods and erosion, interact with the affected people and take stock of their needs and grievances. He referred to the difficulties faced by the people due to potholes on the roads and directed the PWD minister to complete repairs of all roads in the state by this month end.

In view of the damage caused by erosion during floods, Sonowal directed Water Resources Minister Mahanta to take necessary steps, including ensuring availability of anti-erosion material for prompt action at affected sites.

He asked Mahanta to procure dredgers for excavation of river beds apart from preparing a plan to check erosion by adopting the latest technology.

The current floods have affected 49 revenue circles and 993 revenue villages covering 17 districts and affected more than 4,25,000 people in Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Golaghat, Cachar, Dhemaji, Biswanath, Karimganj, Sonitpur, Majuli, Barpeta, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar and Morigaon where the government has opened 84 relief camps for 22,641 inmates.

--IANS

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