HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, July 8: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that he stands with the people of Assam and is their ‘soldier in Parliament’.
He also urged the Centre to extend all possible help and support to the State expeditiously.
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“I stand with the people of Assam, I am their soldier in Parliament, and I urge the Central govt to extend all possible help and support to the state expeditiously,” he wrote on micro-blogging site X.
He further said that Assam needs a comprehensive and compassionate vision – proper relief, rehabilitation, and compensation in the short term, and a pan-Northeast water management authority to do everything necessary to control floods in the long-term.
“The extreme devastation caused by flooding in Assam is heart-breaking – with innocent children like 8-year old Avinash being taken away from us. My heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families across the state,” he added.
The LoP also said that Assam Congress leaders apprised him of the situation on ground where over 24 lakh people have been affected, 53,000 and above people displaced and more than 60 people lost their lives.
Meanwhile, the flood situation in the state remained grim on Monday with a population of nearly 23 lakh affected in 28 districts as the water level of most rivers continue to flow above the danger mark.
As per flood report, the death toll in this year’s flood, landslide and storm was 78 with 66 succumbing in the deluge alone.
Gandhi was scheduled to arrive at Silchar on Monday and visit a flood relief camp at Fulertal in Cachar district en route to Manipur.
On the other hand, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that all relief camps in flood-affected districts are well maintained and stocked with enough essential items till the situation normalises.
He said that the safety and hygiene of flood relief camps was a priority of the government with ‘my team reaching out to all people staying there to gather real-time feedback’.
Currently, nearly 23 lakh people in 3,446 villages of 28 districts were affected while 68,432.75 hectares of cropland have been inundated by the second wave of floods.
Dhubri was the worst hit with 7,54,791 affected, followed by Cachar with 1,77,928 and Barpeta with 1,34,328 suffering in the swirling water.
Altogether 53,689 people have taken shelter in 269 relief camps while 3,15,520 non-relief camp inmates have been provided with relief materials.
The Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger mark at Nimatighat, Tezpur and Dhubri.
Other rivers that have breached the red mark are Burhi Dihing in Khowang, Dikhou in Sivasagar, Disang in Nanglamuraghat,
Dhansiri in Numaligarh, Kopili in Dharamtul, Beki in Barpeta, Sankosh in Golakganj, Barak in BP Ghat and Kushiyara in Karimganj.
Multiple agencies, including NDRF, SDRF and local administration, have been carrying out relief and rescue operations with 171 boats deployed in different parts.
Altogether 70 people and 459 cattle were rescued in the last 24 hours by different agencies.
Damage to roads, bridges, Anganwadi centres and fishery ponds, have been reported from across the state. (With inputs from PTI)
