IIT told to find out ways to deal with flood

GUWAHATI: The Assam Government has approached IIT, Guwahati, to prepare a draft on ways to deal with flood and erosion problems in the state.

"I have requested the director of IIT to submit a proposal on how to solve flood and erosion problems in the state on our own without relying on the Central Government's master plan", Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters here today.

Stating that required funds will be provided to the IIT for the project, Gogoi said quoting experts that embankments are counterproductive in case of rivers which were unstable and have heavy siltation.

"Flood situation in the state was improving with waters receding," Gogoi said adding "the state administration had opened 279 relief camps for flood-affected people."

Launching a scathing attack on the Opposition parties for raising hue and cry over the Prime Minister's allotment of Rs 1,000 crore for flood-hit Bihar, he said the parties are trying to gain cheap political mileage over the issue.

The Chief Minister alleged that during the NDA regime at the Centre and the AGP Government in the state the economy was in the "red" with developmental activities coming to a standstill.

During the UPA regime, a task force was constituted to tackle flood and erosion problems and the state had got much more fund than what was given by the previous governments, he said.

"During the NDA rule, the allocation under calamity relief fund was only Rs 398.47 crore while the Congress Government has provided Rs 1,743.30 crore apart from Central Government-sanctioned Rs 431.70 crore for anti-erosion work in the state during 2008-09, Gogoi said. PTI