Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal reviews flood situation in Assam

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday reviewed the flood situation in the State and asked the officials of the concerned departments to gear up relief operations on a war footing.

Sonowal asked the senior officials of the concerned departments to leave no stone unturned to reach out to the flood affected people and to provide relief to them, particularly to women and infants.

The Chief Minister asked the Health and Family Welfare Department to keep sufficient stock of medicine to keep at bay water borne diseases and directed the Public Health Engineering Department to provide pure drinking water in the flood affected areas.

Sonowal asked the Chief Secretary to issue necessary instruction to the Deputy Commissioners of the affected districts to provide all necessary help and support to the flood affected people, especially in the marooned areas and to look after the needs of women and children, particularly infants.

The Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary to convey to the Deputy Commissioners on the need to keep sufficient number of country boats ready to press them into service during rescue operations.

Sonowal also asked the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department to keep sufficient stock of fodder for the livestock and to provide fodder in the affected areas.

The Chief Minister asked the concerned departments on the pressing need to provide proper sanitation in the relief camps.

Minister for Water Resources, Keshab Mahanta and Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia apprised the Chief Minister about the prevailing flood situation in the State and the steps being initiated to provide succour to the affected people.

Pipersenia told the Chief Minister that there was no dearth of funds and Dispur had allotted the necessary funds to the Deputy Commissioners much in advance to tackle the flood situation vis-a-vis relief operation.

The Minister for Water Resources said that his department has taken up measures to strengthen some of the embankments and to plug the breaches wherever possible.

The Chief Minister was also apprised about the relief operation being carried out in water logged areas of Guwahati city.