Cry for Modi to visit Assam grows louder again, as state faces worst floods in 36 years

As Assam is once again reeling under floods, various organisations and political parties want PM Narendra Modi to visit the state.

Guwahati, August 15: Figures don't lie. Since June, Assam is reeling under floods, with a couple of days of relief between late July and early August. As heavy rains battered Assam and its neighbouring states, including Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, in the last couple of days, the death toll due to floods in the state crossed 100 on Monday.

More than 22.5 lakh people residing in 21 districts of the state have been affected by floods, this year. According to experts, the state is facing its worst floods in the last 36 years.

Amid all the tragedies, cry for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the flood-hit areas of the state grew louder, once again.

Last month, after Modi conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected places in Gujarat, people of Assam, including former chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, slammed the PM for not visiting the state and neglecting the plight of the people of the northeastern state, where floods had created massive destruction.

On August 1, Modi visited Guwahati, Assam, and had a series of meetings with the CMs of various northeastern states to take stock of the floods and landslides situation in the region.

He also announced a package of Rs 2,000 crore for the entire region to be used for relief and rescue measures. Modi didn't pay visit to any flood-affected places during his couple of hours stop in the state last time.

Officials cited the fact that floodwaters had already receded and it made no point conducting an aerial survey of Assam at that time.

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU), the oldest and the most prominent students' organisation in the region, on Monday reiterated its demand that Modi should visit the state now.

"PM Modi should visit the state now to see the real havoc of floods," said AASU general secretary, Lurinjyoti Gogoi.

Modi spoke to CM Sarbanand Sonowal on Monday for the second time in as many days and said all possible support is being provided to the state. The PM said the central government has been closely and constantly monitoring the flood situation in Assam.

"PM @narendramodi spoke to Assam CM @sarbanandsonwal yesterday & today regarding the flood situation in the state," the PMO tweeted.

"All possible support is being provided to Assam for overcoming the flood situation prevailing in parts of the state," Modi said.

The students' leader, who visited flood-affected Kaliabor subdivision on Monday, alleged that flood-hit people were living on roads or on elevated land. The affected-people did not get any help from the district administration, Gogoi added.

"The flood-affected people are being helped by various organisations but not the district administration. The state government has been claiming that it has enough money. We demand the government to expedite its relief operations," Gogoi said.

One of the opposition political parties, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), appealed to Union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi to set up Swadhar Greh centres for families in Dhubri and Barpeta districts affected by erosion. Swadhar Greh is a central scheme for women facing difficult circumstances.

Leaders of the AIUDF submitted a memorandum to Maneka signed by three of its MPs --Badruddin Ajmal, Radheshyam Biswas and Sirajuddin Ajmal, which stated, "The ministry of women and child development has provision for Swadhar Greh for calamity victims. At least 200 villages have been affected in Dhubi and Barpeta districts by erosion and floods. We request you to grant at least 10 Swadhar Greh in Dhubri and Barpeta districts."

As per an assessment of the AIUDF, over 5,000 square km of farmland in Assam has been eroded in the past 67 years and nearly 2 million people lost land and property.

The Border Security Force (BSF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel are engaged in rescuing people in various parts of the state.

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