JORHAT, July 19 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today visited Majuli to take stock of the flood situation in the Brahmaputra island, the constituency represented by him.
A Majuli district administration official told this newspaper that, Sonowal, accompanied by Tingkhong MLA Bimal Borah, arrived at Garmur� district headquarters of Majuli � on a helicopter and was joined by the State Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta and Dhemaji legislator Dr Ranoj Pegu.
The Chief Minister first inspected the anti-erosion works under way under the responsibility of the Brahmaputra Board at Dakhinpat Kumargaon. Laying of geo-bags at the river bank was being carried out to check erosion, the official informed.
The Chief Minister along with Mahanta and the two MLAs also visited Afalamukhghat in the island to inspect similar works at the area carried out by the Brahmaputra Board.
Thereafter, he visited the house of Runu Kalita, who was killed in an attack by a wandering herd of wild elephants on July 16 night at Dakhinpat Kumargaon. The Chief Minister handed over a cheque of Rs 4 lakh as ex-gratia under the Project Elephant fund to the next of kin of the deceased, the official said.
The Chief Minister also handed over a cheque of Rs 30,000 to the family members of a woman, who was undergoing treatment at the Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh, following injuries received due to an attack by the herd of jumbos at Dakhinpat Karbaityagaon, the official stated.
He (Sonowal) gave cheques of Rs 10,000 each to next of kin of five more people of the same village who sustained minor injuries from elephant attack.
Later, Sonowal reviewed the flood scene at the Circuit House at Garmur in which senior district administration and officials of all Governments departments and agencies briefed him on the matter. He was told about the substantial improvement in the flood situation and about relief and rescue measures undertaken by the administration since the occurrence of floods, the official said.
The last relief camp among 10 opened during the deluge was closed on Thursday as people returned to their homes and about seven villages are partially submerged now.
Sonowal took stock of the damages incurred by the floods in the island and directed the concerned departments to undertake restoration works of infrastructure and communications in a swift manner.
The official further said that the Chief Minister directed the Health and Veterinary and animal husbandry departments to intensify organising of camps in flood-hit villages to prevent outbreak of diseases among people and animals.
