Rs 207 crore for Assam flood: DoNER minister

Guwahati, Aug 25: The central government will release Rs.207 crore immediately to Assam to meet the expenditure incurred while repairing the damage caused by floods, DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh said here on Tuesday.

The Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) on Tuesday made an aerial visit to some of the flood-affected areas of the state.

He also interacted with some flood victims and relief camp inmates in Bongaigaon district.

"We are going to release Rs.207 crore immediately to Assam and more funds will flow after the Assam government submits a memorandum including the assessment of the damage caused by the floods," Jitendra Singh said at a press conference at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) airport.

He said the Centre was "very serious and committed about the northeast".

"The water level of the Brahmaputra river started rising from August 17, and within two days, six teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were in Assam assisting the civil administration in rescue and relief operations," he said.

He said many other rivers including Jia Bharali, Puthimari, Beki and Manas were flowing above the normal level.

Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Dhubri, Sonitpur, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia were the worst-affected districts, but the damage has been limited due to the immediate response of the central government and its agencies, including the NDRF, he added.

The DoNER minister said NDRF teams have been deployed for rescue work in Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Kokrajhar and Kamrup, and one NDRF battalion was stationed in Guwahati to move into action as and when required.

So far over 600 people have been evacuated from flood-affected areas and relief material has been distributed, he said.

"As the water has started receding, our main concern is to ensure that there is no spread of diseases. We are going to send medical teams, including doctors and paramedics, to the flood-affected areas," he said.