HAILAKANDI, June 19 - Principal secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management and Chief Executive Officer of Assam State Disaster Management Authority, Rajesh Prasad today visited Hailakandi and assessed the flood damages, relief and rescue operations in the worst-hit district of Assam.
Following his arrival from Silchar, Prasad held a high-level meeting with Deputy Commissioner Adil Khan and senior officials of the civil and police administration and reviewed the flood situation. Hailakandi MLA Anowar Hussain Laskar and Katlicherra MLA Suzamuddin Laskar were also present.
Prasad asked the officials of the departments concerned, particularly Health and Public Health Engineering departments to pitch in all efforts to provide relief and succour to the flood-hit people.
He assured the Health department officials that he would look into the shortage of doctors across the district. Prasad said doctors from Silchar and Gauhati Medical College and Hospitals will be despatched if required.
Prasad said the government has sanctioned Rs 1.70 crore for flood relief operations in Hailakandi district, out of which Rs 50 lakh has already been released.
Ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh will be released to the next of kin of the deceased within the next 48 hours. It may be mentioned here that so far two persons have died in the flood.
Later, accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Khan, District Development Commissioner, FR Laskar and other senior officials, Prasad visited the flood-hit Algapur revenue circle and interacted with inmates lodged in relief camps. Algapur MLA Nizamuddin Choudhury was also present.
Out of the 6,59,296 population in the district, 3,24,258 have been affected by the first wave of floods.
So far 165 relief camps have been set up by the district administration accommodating 1,32,430 inmates. SDRF and NDRF personnel evacuated 8216 marooned persons and moved them to safer
places.
The district administration has been distributing rice, dal, salt, biscuits, baby food, purified packed drinking water and medicines to the affected people, including children and pregnant women.
Ten medical teams have been covering the affected areas and relief camps. Thirteen veterinary camps have been organized for the affected livestock.
The flood situation in the district has improved in the past 48 hours with the Katakhal and Barak rivers flowing below the danger level and Dholeswari river flowing only .02 metres above the danger level
at noon.
Assam Rifles, Army and CRPF have been kept on stand-by to deal with any exigency.
