Assam floods: 5.7 million people affected so far; property, crop losses estimated at Rs 2,288 cr

The Assam Government has submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Ministry stating that 5.7 million people have been hit by the massive flooding till the end of July and

The Assam Government has submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Ministry stating that 5.7 million people have been hit by the massive flooding till the end of July and has said that the estimated loss to property and crops was to the tune of Rs 2,288 crore.

While the crop loss alone is estimated at Rs 140 crore, the rest of the damage is on account of loss of homesteads, cattle, livestock and so on.

With floods receding in large parts of Assam, the state with a population of 30 million, authorities are engaged in on-the-spot surveys to assess the damage.

Ten thousand houses have been fully damaged, 200 others severely damaged and 46,000 other homesteads have suffered partial damage, highly places sources in the Assam State Disaster Management Authority told Northeast Live.

The government is making arrangements to offer Rs 95,000 to all those whose homes have been fully or severely damaged and pay Rs 3,200 to 5,200 to the others whose homes have been partially damaged.

The family of the 110 people who have died during the floods so far this year will receive a compensation (ex-gratia) of Rs 4,00,000 from the State Disaster Response Fund and another Rs 200,000 from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.

Another 26 people had died of mudslides while 22 people across Assam lost their lives after being struck by lightning.

The Centre had allocated a total of Rs 854 crore to the Assam Disaster Relief Fund for 2020-2021 but the estimates of the damage has far exceeded the allocation already with seven months still left for the fiscal to end.

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