Asom CM reviews irrigation facilities as drought stares state

Guwahati, July 24 (UNI) Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today reviewed the agriculture scenario in the state in view of the drought-like conditions in various parts.

Mr Gogoi directed the agriculture and irrigation departments to identify the places which had been hit hardest and take up immediate steps to provide irrigational facilities to the same.

Deficit rainfall of 27 per cent in the state this monsoons has led to an alarming situation for the farmers. As many as 14 districts had been hit, with 1.68 lakh hectares of crop land being affected, an official source said.

The chief minister has asked the district commissioners to ensure that affected crop-land are provided with irrigation facilities at the earliest.

State Irrigation Minister Nurjamal Sarkar was also present in the meeting, attended by top officials of the irrigation and agriculture departments.

Meanwhile, rising water levels of rivers continued to pose threat in some parts of the state.

According to official sources, the Brahmaputra river was flowing above the danger level at two places in Upper Asom.

The river was flowing at 105.11 m against the danger level of 104.24 m in Dibrugarh and displayed a rising trend.

In Neamatighat in Jorhat district, the water level was at 85.2 m against the danger level of 85.04 m.

In the first wave of floods in the state, seven people have lost their lives and several others rendered homeless.

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