Assam Flood: Toll At 75 With 7 More Deaths, 3.32 Lakh Remain Affected

Guwahati: The toll in the Assam flood has risen to 75 with seven more deaths reported in the last 24 hours even though the number of affected people has decreased to 3.32 lakh, officials said on Wednesday. The state government has increased the ex gratia amount to the families of the deceased to Rs 9 lakh each and relaxed norms for availing the compensation, they said.

The seven districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Kamrup Metropolitan are still reeling under the deluge, affecting 21 revenue circles and 622 villages, the officials said.

The flood-hit population was at 3.32 lakh, and Charaideo was the worst-hit district with 1.42 lakh people impacted, followed by Sivasagar (97,074) and Jorhat (57,371).

The seven fatalities on Tuesday were reported from Nazria revenue circle of Sivasagar district, taking the toll in the floods this year to 75, the officials said.

On Monday, six districts had been affected by the deluge, with 4.45 lakh people impacted.

Altogether 81 relief camps were operational in the affected districts, in which 32,477 displaced people have taken shelter. Another 34 relief distribution centres were also functioning.

Multiple agencies, including the Army, Air Force, NDRF, SDRF, Fire and Emergency Services and civil volunteers, continued to carry out relief and rescue operations.

A crop area of 45,341.98 hectares has been submerged, while damage to various infrastructure like houses, cow sheds, schools and anganwadi centres was also reported from across the flood-hit districts.

The intra circle roaming (ICR) facility has been extended in the flood-affected areas of Sivasagar until 11:59 PM on July 30 or until further orders, to ensure uninterrupted mobile phone connectivity, the officials said.

The ICR facility will also be "available to all in-roamers in the district, enabling subscribers of different telecom service providers to stay connected even if their own network is not connected", one of the officials said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said special attention was being given to affected children to help them tide through the difficult times.

"Creating a congenial atmosphere for children in relief camps remains our focus. Dedicated spaces for learning & playing are helping ensure that the impact of floods does not interrupt their childhood and they are not adversely affected due to the ongoing situation," the CM said in a post on social media on Wednesday, sharing photos of children engaged in learning activities in relief camps.

Sarma, in a Facebook Live on Tuesday evening, had announced relaxation in norms for providing ex gratia to the next of kin of those killed or missing in the floods this year.

He said mandatory submission of post-mortem report to avail the one-time grant from the government has been waived, with a certificate from the circle officer to suffice.

"Over and above the Rs 4 lakh ex gratia per victim that is paid at present, we have decided to give additional Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased from the CM's Relief Fund," he said.

In case of people missing in floods, Sarma said it has been decided that an ex gratia of Rs 9 lakh will be granted to the victims' families if the bodies are not found within a month, with the circle officer authorised to issue the necessary certificate.

For families severely affected in the four worst-hit districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat, the government will provide an interim amount of Rs 15,000, which can be utilised for their household needs, the chief minister said.

For students of Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, the government will once again grant aid for free uniforms and textbooks, besides providing a monetary grant to buy books for higher secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate students. 

 Making the announcements of relaxation in norms for providing ex gratia payment during a Facebook Live, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "So far, the rule was that post-mortem report has to be submitted to avail government ex gratia by next of kin. We have decided to do away with this, and a certificate from the circle officer will suffice."

'Orunudoi' beneficiaries of these four districts will receive Rs 2,500 for the month of August instead of the usual Rs 1,250, which will lead to some decrease in the amount paid to the beneficiaries in other parts of the state, he said.

"I am sure the people in other parts will not mind the slight deduction for one time," Sarma said.

For students of Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, the government will once again grant aid for free uniforms and textbooks, Sarma said.

A monetary grant of Rs 1,000 for buying books for higher secondary students, Rs 3,000 for under-graduate students and Rs 5,000 for post-graduate students in these two districts will be provided.

The state government has also decided to waive fees applicable for issue of duplicate educational marksheets, the CM said.

The funds for the interim relief and for the students will be provided from the CM's Relief Fund, which has collected donations of over Rs 26 crore since the latest wave hit the state about 10 days ago, Sarma said.

He also said that assessment of damage to houses, livestock, fisheries and crops will begin on August 3, followed by compensation payment to eligible families.

Sarma said contributions have been pouring into the Chief Minister's Relief Fund since July 18, with "micro donations" from 4,610 people totaling Rs 60 lakh.

Some groups and individuals have contributed bigger amounts, which add up to over Rs 26 crore, he said.

The interim relief, aid for buying books and any other required assistance not covered by government guidelines will be paid from this fund, the chief minister added.