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AASU demands special package for flood-hit farmers

By Correspondent

DHEMAJI, June 23 - All Assam Students Union (AASU), Dhemaji district unit has reiterated its long-standing demand to the State government to chalk out effective mechanism to solve flood and erosion problems in the district.

Expressing serious concern over the crop damage and loss of cultivated land by perennial flood and erosion, which has been collapsing rural economy, AASU functionaries have alleged that elected leaders are trying to sustain the problem for their vested political interest.

Alleging incompetent role of officials in Water Resource division in Dhemaji, the AASU leaders alleged that the Water Resources department has miserably failed to protect the river dykes and river bunds from repeated breaching, which is causing flood fury in human habitations every year.

�The department is not bothered about controlling flood in the notified flood zones, but it is working to fulfil interest of the local MLAs and MP besides a section of contractors,� said AASU�s district unit president Deepak Sarma in a statement.

The AASU has blamed the authority for huge damage of sali crops and household properties of rural farmers in the early flash floods.

�The early flash floods caused by the rivers in Dhemaji, Sissiborgaon and Jonai revenue circles damages sali crops and vegetable cultivation of rural farmers. The rural farmers after losing their crop fields and other cultivations are now staring at government relief and rehabilitation,� Sarma said.

The AASU further alleged that the State government, which is focusing its attention in organizing various glittering functions like Namami Brahmaputra, Funfair Award function etc., is not putting attention towards woes of the flood-ravaged people of the State,� the AASU leaders lamented.

Criticizing the State government�s policy of late release of funds, the student union said that the State Water Resource minister had assured complete construction and repairing of river dykes before March 31. But the government has failed to release funds to the Water Resource department even after April end.

The AASU has demanded Sarbananda Sonowal-led State Government to grant a �special package� meant for the flood-hit farmers of Dhemaji and ensure them proper compensation for the loss they suffered.

On the other hand, more than 50 villages under Gogamukh, Dhemaji, Machkhowa, Sissiborgaon and Jonai revenue circles of the district are reeling under flash floods for the last three days. About 15,000 people of the district have been severely affected by the flood.

As per District Disaster Management Agency (DDMA) report this evening, district administration has opened two relief camps in Dhemaji circle, which is providing accommodation to 273 relief inmates.

Our Correspondent from North Lakhimpur adds: Massive bank erosion by Bogeenadi river in Lakhimpur district has threatened several villages. A major tributary of Subansiri, Bogeenadi has been fast eroding its bank in Milanpur village under Kadam Revenue Circle near the Bogeenadi Development Block office.

On Tuesday, the river devoured almost five feet on its left-hand-side bank near number 2 Milanpur village. Incessant rain in the area and in nearby hills of Arunachal Pradesh has increased the water level of Bogeenadi during the last several days. The same river has also been causing serious erosion in the downstream Hekerajan, Na-Kadam and other areas.

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