Farmers' body decries failure in relief and rescue operations

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 21: The Assam State Kisan Sabha (ASKS) has cried foul the failure on the part of the State Government to rescue the flood-affected people in the State and provide them relief materials. This, the ASKS said, is despite the standing warning from the Department of Meteorology recently that many areas in the State would reel under floods.   

 The State Disaster Magement Authority (SDMA) alerted the people and district authorities in areas like Anil gar, bin gar, Tarun gar, Ganeshguri, Hatigaon, Dispur etc., in Guwahati to be alert on urban flash floods for 24-36 hours on August 18. The SDMA had such standing alert at some places in Kamrup like Koya, Rangiya and Goreswar where the Puthimari and its sub-tributaries may cause floods for 24-48 hours.

Elsewhere in the State, the SDMA had alerted areas like Barpeta, Bargr, Kalgachia, Baghbor and Sarupeta in Barpeta district where the Beki and its sub-tributaries caused floods.. There have been such alert in various other places in Baksa, Chirang, Bongaigaon, lbari, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur and Jorhat districts. Dispur was also on record issuing a warning that by August 20 this year, 611 villages in 31 revenue circles in 13 districts would be affected by floods, destroying over two lakh bigha standing crops, sealing the fate of over three lakh people.

In a statement issued to the press today, ASKS secretary Tiken Das said in most of the flood-affected areas in the State rescue and relief operations are not visible. The ASKS also condemned the indifference on the part of the Centre when the people of Assam have been reeling under floods.