Early Monsoon? Dispur Flood Ready

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Following the prediction of early arrival of the South-West Monsoon in Assam and other states in the Northeast, Assam Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota today reviewed the flood preparedness of different departments. He has asked all departments to be in full gear for combating floods.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted the likelihood of very to very heavy rains for the next four days for the southern and western districts of Assam with effect from May 17. The normal onset of the southwest monsoon for the Northeast is from June 15. However, this year it is expected to enter the region from June 2. This year there will be less than normal monsoon in the NE, while the rest of India will have more than normal, the IMD predicted.

In a high-level meeting held at Lok Sewa Bhawan today, Dr. Kota took stock of the district-level preparedness from the District Commissioners (DCs) through video conferencing.

Gyanendra D Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), made a comprehensive presentation on initiatives taken by ASDMA on the various preparedness measures taken at the state and district levels. Tripathi apprised that ASDMA has conducted seven thematic meetings with various stakeholders as well as video conferences with all District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) for a 360-degree review of flood preparedness in 2025.

Chief Secretary Dr. Kota mentioned the different sensitive matters related to the management of floods and other related issues in the state. He requested all the departments and agencies to work in close coordination with ASDMA during the flood season for effective management of floods.

NDRF 1st Bn apprised the Chief Secretary that out of a total of 18 teams of NDRF, 14 teams are deployed in Assam, which will be prepositioned in Cachar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, and Jorhat, and NDRF 12th Bn teams will be deployed in Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Dhemaji, and Sonitpur districts. Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) said that 639 SDRF personnel, along with 299 serviceable rescue boats, have been deployed in 58 locations of the state for the ensuing flood season.

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