The flood situation in Assam is worsening with each passing day. According to the latest reports, all 33 districts of the state has came under the grip of the deluge that has claimed 17 lives and affected over 45 lakh people so far. The central government of India has released Rs 251 Crore of grants-in-aid to Assam government to carry out relief operations.
Recently, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared a letter on Twitter saying that the amount has been released towards the central share of SDRF for 2019-20 on the basis of the recommendation of the Fourteenth Finance Commission for relief necessitated by natural calamities. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the assistance, saying it will “immensely help in relief operations and mitigating sufferings of people affected by the flood”.
Biswa wrote “I thank Hon PM Sri @narendramodi and HM Sri @AmitShah for prompt release of ₹251.55 cr grants-in-aid to Assam towards the central share of SDRF for 2019-20.”
The rains this monsoon have caused brutal floods in Assam killing about 27 people and over four million affected statewide. More than 7,000 people have been evacuated to 68 relief centres across the state as over 27,000 hectares of farmland is also under flood waters.
In Guwahati, waters of the Brahmaputra submerged Uzanbazar, Kharguli and Bharalamukh areas while the situation in Kaziranga and Manas National Parks and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary turned critical as vast stretches of land were inundated, with animals moving towards higher lands.
The flood affected districts include Darrang, Baksa, Barpeta, Nalbari, Chirang, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Golaghat, Majuli, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Goalpara, Morigaon, Hojai, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.
According to the officials, the Army is helping in rescue operations and the Border Security Force (BSF) has also been called in for assistance in the border districts. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are working round the clock in flood-affected areas.
