Flood damage estimated at Rs 3888.09 crore

GUWAHATI, Sept 4: Damage by floods in the State this year has been estimated at Rs 3888.09 crore in the forms of cropland, livestock, embankments, roads and the like, besides claiming 158 human lives.

Minister of State for Revenue and Disaster Magement Pallav Lochan Das informed the Assam Assembly of this while replying to separate questions from AGP MLAs Ramendra rayan Kalita and Utpal Dutta.

Das told the House that ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each had already been paid to the next of kin of 146 of the 158 people who have been killed in floods this year, and the process for similar payments to the next of kin of the rest of the victims was underway. 

The flood damage in the State, according to Das, includes the damage of cropland measuring 395819.25 hectares and infrastructure damage worth Rs 1799 crore in the Water Resources Department, Rs 516.37 crore in PWD (Road and Bridges), Rs 197 crore in PWD (tiol Highway), Rs 228.08 crore in Power Department, Rs 36.50 crore in Health Department, Rs 17.34 crore in Elementary Education, Rs 70.56 crore in P & RD, Rs 250 crore in Urban Development Department, Rs 334.20 crore in Guwahati Development Department, etc.

According to the minister, Rs 29.36 crore has already been released to the Water Resources Department during fiscal 2017-18. Das informed the House that besides promising Rs 100 crore for studies on the Brahmaputra, Prime Minister rendra Modi, during his recent visit to the State,  had promised Rs 400 crore for capacity building of the might male river.