OUR CORRESPONDENT
SIVASAGAR: The All Assam Association of Retired Judges has extended relief assistance to flood-affected people in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts while simultaneously taking steps to prevent plastic waste generated during relief operations from polluting the environment.
In collaboration with the Sivasagar District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), office-bearers of the association have been visiting flood-affected areas for the past two days, distributing essential relief materials among affected families and educational supplies among students whose studies have been disrupted by the devastating floods.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of the initiative has been the association's decision to collect used plastic water bottles while returning from the relief distribution areas. The unprecedented floods that struck the region from July 19 prompted people from across Assam and other parts of the country to come forward with relief materials, including millions of bottles of drinking water. However, the accumulation of discarded plastic bottles has emerged as a potential environmental threat. Taking cognisance of the issue, the association has arranged to collect the used plastic bottles and transport them back in relief trucks.
The initiative has been spearheaded, among others, by former District and Sessions Judge, poet, writer, wildlife, and environmental activist, Darak Ullah. During the peak of the floods, Ullah had personally extended relief to affected people in Sivasagar, Silasako, Santak, and Bihubar areas.
Under the latest four-day relief programme organised by the All Assam Association of Retired Judges, assistance is being provided in areas including Santak, Bihubar, Santak Bor Mising Gaon, Bogdai Gaon, Santak Bazar, Panbecha, and Kathpar. Educational materials are being distributed among students to help them resume their studies, while clothes, bleaching powder, phenyl, and sanitary napkins are also being provided to affected families. Financial assistance is additionally being extended to economically vulnerable people.
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