Shatrughan Sinha, Adil Hussain and others call for permanent solution to floods in Assam, Bihar

Distressed over floods in Assam and Bihar, showbiz personalities such as Adil Hussain, Pankaj Tripathi and actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha are demanding a permanent solution to the annual cycle of deluge and destruction in their homelands.

Floods have killed more than 100 people in Bihar and affected more than 80 lakh in 12 districts. In Assam, the toll is nearly 70 with 28 lakh people hit in 19 of the the state's 33 districts.

Patna-born Sinha said it is as if a bad omen is upon his home state, which was reeling under the effect of an encephalitis outbreak, extreme heat and now floods.

"This happens year after year. But this is not the time to play the blame-game. It's time for remedy, relief and compensation. People have come out on the streets and are living in the so-called shelter homes with minimum or no facilities. It's pathetic," the veteran actor-politician told PTI.

"People are suffering. We have to think of a permanent solution to the existing problem. Sooner the better. We need immediate help relief and permanent remedial measures," he added.

Hussain, who belongs to Assam's Goalpara district, said the country has not been able to come up with a "concrete plan" for tackling the problem even 70 years after Independence,