The flood situation in Assam has turned disastrous, affecting over 18 lakh people in the state in 2,800 villages across 29 districts. At least 46 people have lost their lives until now and the rain alerts are still on for most districts in Assam.
At a time when over 25,000 people are living in relief camps and 3,61,206 inmates who have arranged for their own relief on embankments, the victims have raised questions on the way the government is dealing with the situation. Student organisations like All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), flood victims have alleged that breach of major embankments due to low quality constructions like the one in Hatimara on Kolong river, have been one of the biggest factors leading to floods at various places. There have been questions on lack of preparedness and management of floods in the state.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Mriganka Shekhar Bharali of AASU said, “The breach of embankments have resulted in flooding of places like ours after seven long years. After the huge devastation that thee flood brought to this place in 2017, the Kolong river was stopped from flowing. Then in the month of June, they decided to make it flow again , built a sluice gate as well. But due to the insincerity of the work of the engineers, contractors and government as a whole, it kept leaking and, hence, broke this very important embankment which has led to flooding of the entire place affecting thousands of people. This is how a lot more places in Assam have got flooded after years.”
However, speaking on the same, Minister Keshab Mahanta said, “Flood is a natural disaster and when flood comes a lot of embankments are broken, not just here, but in the entire state. It is very unfortunate. An inquiry will be done about the entire breach of the embankment here.”
While CNN-News18 was on the ground talking to the victims of flood in Nagaon on Thursday, it was also witnessed that a lot of people who are managing to live in temporary relief camps arranged by themselves protested against the uneven distribution of flood relief amongst the victims. Presently, in the entire state, 25,744 inmates have been staying in relief camps with 4,697 children and 9,874 women. Inmates outside relief camps are about 3,61,206, where 80,854 children and 1,22,126 women are staying.
Speaking to CNN-News18, 80-year-old Phulamala Das, said, “We have not seen floods since last 7 years. How would we be prepared for anything like this? The government should have been prepared. They knew that water was slipping through sluice gate. They are not even prepared to give proper relief materials. Here we have children and animals living together. Not even a drop of water to drink from the government. Some private NGOs are coming out to help us with water and biscuits. Else we could not have survived.”
Another inmate staying on a roadside self arranged relief camp, Ila Kalita, said, “Over the night, water entered our house and washed away everything. We are people based on agriculture, our paddy fields are all destroyed. All the livestock like cows, goats, buffaloes have been swept away in the flood. And here we are on the rod, somehow saving our lives. Zero relief material has reached us. Nothing to eat, nothing to drink. Some relief has reached the relief camps arranged by government. But what about people like us? Lakhs of people are now living like us. Why no preparedness to deal with it? How will we survive? The water has entered hospitals, schools everywhere, leaving our lives on a standstill. No matter whom the government blames for this, we are victims and we see no attention being given. This could have been avoided.”
However, speaking about the intensified flood situation in Assam, Cheif Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said, “The flood in Assam happens because of the flood in Arunachal Pradesh. The flood enters upper Assam from Arunachal side which makes the entire Assam flooded. What can Arunachal Pradesh do about it? They are also suffering. Our connections with Arunachal government is good due to which we could at least be on alert.”
“Until and unless there are huge quantity water reservoirs built by China at the border on their side of the border, we can’t help floods in Assam. From Assam, it will flow to Bangladesh as well. But what can Assam do anything about it? We ourselves are suffering. So, only when China builds reservoirs, we can get away from the plight of flood. We can’t help it,” he added.
Sarma inspected the flood affected areas in several districts on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Friday as well, there are rain alerts in Assam and Northeast while all the major rivers in Assam are still flowing above the danger level.
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