Central team to assess flood situation in Arunachal: Rijiju

Union minister Kiren Rijiju has assured Arunachal Pradesh government that an inter-ministerial team will be visiting East Siang district soon to assess the damages caused by the recent floods, an official release said here Thursday.

Siang river, which originates in Tibet, was in spate in August and September due to heavy rain in China.

Over 1,000 families living in the catchment areas of East Siang district were affected in the flood.

Arunachal Pradesh Disaster Management Secretary Bidol Tayeng called on Rijiju in New Delhi Tuesday to apprise him of the situation in the district, the release said.

Stressing the need for "flood protection" along Siang river, the secretary pressed for early visit of a central team to inspect the district and assess the losses, it said.

The Union minister of state for home affairs, on his part, said he was yet to receive a requisition letter from the state government in this regard.

However, he promised to send an inter-ministerial team for assessment at the earliest.

"The team of experts will be visiting the district and file a report, based on which plans will be made to tame the Siang river," the official release said quoting Rijiju.

Meanwhile, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) here has expressed "deep concern" over the issue of large-scale siltation on Siang river bed and erosion of catchment areas.

AAPSU general secretary Tobom Dai said people had to flee their homes after the "marauding" flood waters of Siang entered into the villages.

In a statement Thursday, Dai said the river water is turning muddier and its flow more turbulent with time, adding to anxieties in the minds of people in the Siang valley.

"The alleged apathy of the governments, both in the state and at the Centre, in providing a concrete solution to the problem has created confusion and a sense of deprivation in the minds of affected people," Dai added.