From our Correspondent

Itanagar, July 3: Arunachal Pradesh Finance, Planning & PWD Minister Chowna Mein and MLA-cum-Parliamentary Secretary of Assam Bolin Chetia assured the flood affected people along the inter-State border to take up the issue of flood with NEC for a permanent solution.

Mein and Chetia who visited flood affected areas of Namsai in Arunachal’s Lohit district on Monday said that the Arunachal and Assam Government would jointly take up with the North East Council (NEC) the issue of flood control measures at Noa Dihing and Padum Nallah in Lohit district which is posing a serious threat to both the States.

Mein directed the Lohit district administration to shift the villagers of flood-hit areas to safer places. He also directed the administration to assess the loss immediately and to provide immediate relief and assistance to the victims, official sources said on Tuesday.

Expressing solidarity with the affected people who had to leave their houses and take shelter in Dharmpur Relief Camp and other relief camps at Mahadevpur and Namsai area, he assured to extend all sort of assistance to the victims for their rehabilitation.

He also inspected Silatoo area where the river Noa Dihing was eroding the cultivable land so badly posing a great threat to entire village.

Regarding rehabilitation and flood control measures to be taken up, the Minister directed Water Resource Department and all other departments to prepare a logistic estimate for mitigating the flood and erosion of the area.

The Minister also visited Padum Nallah which has been converted into a river by the overflowing water of Noa Dihing River.

The team also visited the dykes and embankments as well as relief camps and expressed satisfaction on the timely steps taken by all the agencies including district administration and Water Resource Department with the help and co-operation of local people to control the flood at its initial stage. He assured to take up the matter with the Chief Minister to provide necessary funds after the loss is assessed and report is submitted by the district administration.

Bolin Chetia appealed to the people residing in the border areas of both the States to maintain brotherhood as well as peace and harmony since they are dependent on each other.

Later Mein also visited all the flood affected areas of Chowkham area and expressed shock over the merger of Kamlang, Mora Kamlang and Sipiri rivers causing huge loss to Sipiri Mukh and Alubari area.

The Minister directed Water Resource Department and all concerned to prepare a logistic estimate to save the Alubari and other areas from the overflowing waters of above rivers and assured to take up the matter with the Chief Minister to provide necessary funds after submission of report by the district administration, sources added.