Assam chief secy calls for close coordination to tackle flood situation

Guwahati: Assam chief secretary, while reviewing flood preparedness in the state, directed all departments and agencies to work in close coordination to deal with the flood situation, anticipating an early arrival of the southwest monsoon in the northeast.

Ravi Kota conducted a comprehensive review of the state's flood preparedness ahead of monsoon, emphasising the need for interdepartmental coordination to address potential flooding situations, as reported on Sunday. Kota emphasised the importance of departments and agencies maintaining close collaboration with the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) during flood situations.

The NDRF apprised the chief secretary that its 1st battalion's 14 teams would be prepositioned in Cachar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, and Jorhat, while NDRF 12th battalion teams will be positioned in Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Dhemaji, and Sonitpur districts. The Fire and Emergency Services (FES) department confirmed the deployment of 639 SDRF personnel with 299 rescue boats across 58 locations statewide for the monsoon season.

District commissioners have been directed to utilise NDRF teams for building capacity among local responders and communities. The public health engineering department will ensure safe drinking water provision to flood-affected populations, while the agriculture department must initiate a special campaign for farmer enrolment in crop insurance schemes. Kamrup (Metro) district administration has been directed to complete the de-siltation works in advance and to keep all dewatering and trolley-mounted pumps in Guwahati operational to address urban flooding.

The chief secretary said, "ASDMA plays a pivotal role in the state's flood management. Year after year, significant improvements were made, and this year too, all stakeholders must work in close coordination with ASDMA, drawing on past experiences in relief, rehabilitation, and logistics management."