The central government on July 22 informed about releasing of over Rs 345 crore funds to Assam for immediate flood management in the state.
The Centre also assured Assam of taking up with Bhutan the issue of a permanent solution of water from the bordering country flooding the state annually.
Union Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat on July 22 assured that an amount of Rs 346 crore would be released immediately from his ministry to the state government as the first installment under Flood Management Programme (FMP).
Sekhawat held a video conference with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and took stock of the flood situation in the state.
He urged the CM to send more proposals for sanctioning under Disaster Risk Management Fund which would enable the state government to receive more funds from the central government for flood and erosion.
Sonowal also appealed to the Union minister to allocate funds to the state government to strengthen 5000 kms of embankments built since 1951 in the state, which would now be turned into road-cum-embankments. Sekhawat told the CM to send a letter stating the same and his ministry would incorporate those proposals in the next year’s plan.
In response to the request made by the CM to the Centre to take up the matter of floodwaters from Bhutan inundating a large area in lower Assam every year, Sekhawat assured that the central government would soon hold discussions with Bhutan government in this regard so that permanent solutions can be found.
The Union minister also stressed on the need to adopt latest technologies in flood management and assured all help from his ministry in finding lasting solutions to the problems of flood and erosion.
