New Delhi: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited flood-hit Assam on Monday (July 8), in his first visit to the state since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
At least 78 people have been killed in the flood this year, with nearly 23 lakh people affected across 28 districts in the state, reported news agency Press Trust of India.
Gandhi visited a Hmar relief camp in Fulertal, in Assam’s Cachar district. Prior to that members of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) including state Congress president Bhupen Borah met Gandhi and submitted a memorandum urging him to take up the issue of “perennial floods” in Assam in the parliament.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Cachar, Assam. Photo: Special Arrangement
In a statement on X, Gandhi said that the Assam Congress leaders had apprised him of the devastation caused by the floods in the state.
“These numbers reflect the gross and grave mismanagement by BJP’s double-engine government which came to power with the promise of a ‘flood-free Assam’. Assam needs a comprehensive and compassionate vision – proper relief, rehabilitation, and compensation in the short term, and a pan-Northeast water management authority to do everything necessary to control floods in the long term,” he wrote.
“I stand with the people of Assam, I am their soldier in Parliament, and I urge the Central govt to extend all possible help and support to the State expeditiously,” the Congress leader added.
The extreme devastation caused by flooding in Assam is heartbreaking – with innocent children like 8-year old Avinash being taken away from us.
My heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families across the State.
AdvertisementAssam Congress leaders apprised me of the situation on… pic.twitter.com/Nbx356QPEF
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 8, 2024
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Gandhi also offered his condolences for the death of eight-year-old Avinash Sarkar saying, “Extreme devastation caused by flooding in Assam is heartbreaking – with innocent children like 8-year old Avinash being taken away from us.”
On July 7, the body of Sarkar — who was swept away by flood waters three days before, was recovered from a drain in Guwahati, more than a kilometre away from where he was swept. His parents identified his body at the Guwahati Medical College on the same day.
Gandhi’s visit, enroute to violence-torn Manipur, comes a day after Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited relief camps in Kamrup district.
Glimpses from my visit to various flood relief camps in Kamrup District today. We are ensuring these centres are well maintained and stocked with enough essential items till siatuation normalises. #AssamFloods pic.twitter.com/qF4Vjq8Mup
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 7, 2024
Addressing reporters on Sunday during his visit, Sarma said the focus must be on finding a solution to Assam’s floods.
“Look, declaring a national issue or not, there is no point in declaring a problem. A national solution needs to be announced. People from outside will come and search online and see that this is a national problem. No one will come to Assam. So our aim is to solve the problem of floods,” the Assam chief minister said.
He added: “Today you see that with the efforts of the state government no water has risen on the embankment side in Palashbari. The problem is on the river side where there are people on the river side of the embankment. In 2004 there were 400 embankments breaches while today we have only 4 such breaches. So slowly we are on the road to a solution. We need funds so that we can solve this problem.”
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The PTI reported that Dhubri has been the worst hit by the floods with 7,54,791 affected, followed by Cachar with 1,77,928 and Barpeta with 1,34,328.
A total of 53,689 people have taken shelter in 269 relief camps. Another 3,15,520 who are not living in relief camps but have been affected are being provided with relief materials.
Heavy rain has caused flooding and devastation has continued to impact eastern India.
In Assam, the Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger mark at Nimatighat, Tezpur and Dhubri.
