Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visits flood-hit Hojai

* Repair embankment and check erosion: CM

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited Hotimoragaon Panchayat of Hojai Revenue Circle on Monday and took stock of the flood-affected Rajabari areas. He also visited the river Kopili-induced erosion hit areas and breached embankment and directed the Water Resources Department to repair the breach on a war footing. He also asked the Public Works Department to repair the roads.

Sonowal also went through slushy roads and visited relief camps set up at Jogijan and distributed nutritious food to the children, stated a press release.

The first wave of flood caused surge of water level in Rivers Kopili and Jamuna, leading to inundation of several parts in Hojai, Lanka and Doboka revenue circle areas. The present wave of flood has hit 93 villages affecting 94,445 people and 7650.50 hectare agricultural land in Hojai district. 54 relief camps set up have given shelter to more than 10 thousand inmates.

Chief Minister Sonowal during his visit to the relief camps made a fervent appeal to the camp inmates to adhere to social distancing protocols and save themselves from COVID 19 infection. He also asked the district administration to conduct regular health check up on the camp inmates. He also asked the administration to ensure that the camp inmates get regular, adequate and quality food, drinking water etc.

Talking to the reporters on the sideline of his visit to the district, Sonowal said that flood and erosion have caused widespread damage to the large areas of Kampur. A flurry of relief activities is being carried out with the help of the in-charge Minister Pijush Hazarika, local MLA Shiladitya Dev, MLA Lumding Shibu Mishra, district administration and others. He also said that the Water Resources Department has taken timely steps and sprung into action to lessen the miseries of the people affected by the flood. He also said that flood and COVID-19 have led to widespread problems, however the 3.30 crore people of the State are working hard to battle against these problems. This flood apart from hitting the farmers has caused miseries to the fishermen also. For the permanent solution of flood and erosion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi constituted North East Water Management Authority under the Chairmanship of the vice chairman of NITI Aayog. Terming it the first such endeavour to find out permanent solution of flood under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sonowal said that the Authority is working to formulate a long-term solution to deal with flood and erosion. He also hoped that in the coming days Assam along with other neighbouring States will get relief from this problem. He also said that the district administrations are directed to give all relief to the flood-affected people with the help of the public representatives, a press release said.