GOM to consider issue of inclusion of erosion under calamity relief

GUWAHATI: Group of Ministers ( GOM) will considered the issue of inclusion of erosion under the calamity relief under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)/State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

Union Minister of Agriculture & Food Processing Industries Sharad Pawar has conveyed this decision to Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi. Earlier Gogoi wrote a letter to Pawar requesting him to include river bank erosion in the list of eligible natural calamities for assistance from NDRF/SDRF.

Pawar informed the GOM is being serviced by Ministry of Home Affairs.

River bank erosion has turned out to be a big menace in Assam. More than 13 districts of the Assam, out of the 27 districts are under the grip of erosion. According to the official estimate, from 1954 to 2003 the state has lost 4, 00,000 hectares of land.