Assam: Rs 3,634-crore strategy to minimize impact of floods in state

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Assam Government is adopting a Rs 3,634-crore multi-pronged strategy to minimize the impact of floods across the state.

According to the National Floods Commission, the flood-prone area in Assam is around 31,500 sq km. This is about 39.58 per cent of the total land area of the state and about 9.40 per cent of the total flood-prone area of the entire country. The flood-prone area of the entire country stands at about 10.2 per cent of its total area. It shows that the flood-prone area of Assam is four times the national mark of the flood-prone area of the country.

The report further said that an area of 4.27 lakh hectares of the state has been eroded by rivers since 1950.

According to official sources, over the years, flood-prevention works done in the state were for short-term measures for the protection of rural areas from the wrath of floods. Now, the government has stepped up for the protection of major towns as well. To make this happen, the state government has received funds from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, NABARD, etc.

According to sources, the government has taken up projects to protect cities and other urban areas with the construction of embankments and flood walls; river training and bank protection works; anti-erosion and town protection works; river channelisation with pro-siltation devices; drainage improvement; raised platforms; flood forecasting and warning; flood zoning, etc.

Also Read: Assam: Action plan mapped to tackle the possible flood situation

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