Meghalaya Cabinet Takes Stock of Flood Scene

A Correspondent

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Cabinet on Friday discussed the flood situation in the State even as it decided that ministers of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) would “generously” donate to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).

“All the ministers will be contributing to the CMRF,” State Home Minister James Sangma said even as he reached out to all the citizens of the State including the Opposition MLAs to make donations.

“This is just not a matter of the present flood situation that is unfortunately come up in our State but also keeping in view future natural disasters which may happen,” Sangma told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

The Home Minister also said that the State Government is seeking Central assistance, with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma recently meeting the Union Home Minister and various ministers in the government of India and hoped that the Centre will help the State.

To a question if the government is contemplating to declare the flood situation in Garo Hills as a natural disaster, he said that they will first need to discuss before taking any call on it. Sangma also said that the flood situation in Garo Hills region of the State is grim, with flood waters not receding.

The Home Minister also said that the district administration is doing its level best to provide relief materials and to make sure that the relief camps are in place and taking care of those displaced in the floods. According to him sanitation is a big issue and the Health Department is working overtime to ensure that in such situation diseases does not spread.

“The government is seized of the matter and we are really trying our level best to ensure that in whatever way we can extend all possible help to the people affected by the floods,” Sangma said.

When asked what can be the reasons for flooding, the Home Minister said that there has been heavy rain of late and the water from the Brahmaputra river in Assam was flowing back into the plain areas of Garo Hills.

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