GUWAHATI, July 9 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today reviewed the flood situation in the State and asked the officials of the departments concerned to gear up relief operations on a war footing, at a high-level meeting at the Assam Secretariat here today.
Sonowal asked senior officials to leave no stone unturned to reach out to the flood-affected people and to provide relief to them.
The Chief Minister also asked the Health and Family Welfare Department to keep sufficient stock of medicine, to keep at bay water-borne diseases, and directed the Public Health Engineering Department to provide pure drinking water in the flood-hit areas.
Sonowal asked the Chief Secretary to issue necessary instruction to the Deputy Commissioners of the affected districts to provide all necessary help and support to the affected people.
The Chief Minister also asked the Chief Secretary to convey to the Deputy Commissioners on the need to keep sufficient number of country boats ready to press them into service during rescue operations.
Sonowal also asked the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department to keep sufficient stock of fodder for the livestock and to provide fodder in the affected areas.
He also asked the departments to provide proper sanitation in the relief camps.
Minister for Water Resources Keshab Mahanta and Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia apprised the Chief Minister about the prevailing flood situation and the steps being initiated in this regard.
Pipersenia told the Chief Minister that there was no dearth of funds and Dispur had allotted the necessary funds to the Deputy Commissioners much in advance to tackle the situation.
The Minister for Water Resources said his department has taken up measures to strengthen some of the embankments and plug the breaches wherever possible.
The Chief Minister was also apprised about the relief operations being carried out in water-logged areas of Guwahati.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Additional Chief Secretary, GDD, MGVK Bhanu, Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, TY Das, Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources, RT Jindal, Commissioner and Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Deepak Sarma, Commissioner and Secretary to CM, Sanjay Lohia, Secretary to CM, VV Solanki and Secretary, Water Resources, PP Changkakoti.
Meanwhile, Sonowal asked the Ministers and MLAs to visit the flood-affected areas and monitor the relief operations.
