Assam floods: Money all around but nothing to change?

Guwahati, July 9: So Assam has no relief despite receiving rs 11,000 crore as flood relief funds. The situation in the state has remained the same ever since the 2011 floods.

In 2011, the floods infringed an important 37 km long embankment. The embankments were supposedly built to provide protection but were gone in a flash. And this time, about 350 villages and 11 districts have submerged in because of floods and this huge flash affected the lives of over one lakh people in Assam, reported CNN.

2012 was no different. There was a political war going on and the tug for flood relief funds was constantly drawing the attention of assemblies and political meetings. The situation in Assam was uninviting and political parties were constantly demanding more funds. Where did all the money go? Only those involved can tell.

There was not even a hint of difference to the lives of people, be it flood control or flood relief measures. The Human Rights Commission even ordered an inquiry into alleged misuse of those relief funds meant for flood relief, in 2012.

A Right to Information(RTI) document shows that not less than rs 11,000 crore has been spent between 2005 to 2011 on relief and maintainence operations.

"Starting from 2005 till 2011 an astronomical amount has been given to the government both by the Centre and the state but that amount has been misused as per the reports by Assam Water Resource Department. Due to that misuse lakhs of people are suffering," Assam Human Rights Commission chairman Dr Justice Aftab Hussain Saikia said in 2012.

"All (embankments) are inappropriately designed with poor material and the amount of money spent in my personal opinion is misused and the money they have they should be able to come out with a long term solution and every time it's like a short term piecemeal emergency solution," Retired professor University of Alaska Dr Arvind Phukan, who is a flood control expert, said.

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