"There'll be no shortage of assistance from Centre": JP Nadda visits flood-hit Sivasagar in Assam
Sivasagar, August 5
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday visited flood-affected areas in Assam's Sivasagar district along with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and assured residents that the Centre would extend all possible assistance for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Nadda visited the flood-ravaged Bihubor Nepali Khuti area, interacted with affected families and reviewed the damage caused by the recent floods. The Union Minister also took stock of the ongoing relief operations and the rehabilitation measures being undertaken by the state administration.
Addressing flood-affected residents, Nadda said the Central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stood firmly with the people of Assam.
"On behalf of the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I assure Himanta Biswa Sarma and all of you that there will be no shortage of relief. Complete financial assistance is being extended to the state. Central teams are assessing the scale of damage here. We are fully engaged in rehabilitation efforts," he said.
Speaking after inspecting the affected villages, Nadda said the visit gave him a first-hand assessment of the devastation caused by the floods.
"I got the opportunity to visit Sivasagar with the Chief Minister. I have seen the extent of the damage. Entire villages have suffered. People have lost their homes, while crops and property have also been severely affected. We discussed the difficulties being faced by the people. Relief work has been carried out proactively and has reached the affected areas. There will be no shortage of assistance from the Government of India. Whether it is financial assistance, compensation for losses or rehabilitation, the Centre will stand with Assam. Himanta Biswa Sarma is doing his best, and I assure you that the Central government will do everything possible," he said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked the Union Minister for visiting the affected areas and expressed confidence that he would convey the ground situation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Nadda ji has personally seen the extent of the destruction. I am confident that he will convey the situation to the Prime Minister so that the people of Assam receive all the support required for relief and rehabilitation," Sarma said.
The visit comes as several parts of Upper Assam continue to recover from one of the worst flood spells this monsoon. Sivasagar district, particularly the Nazira subdivision and the bordering Bihubor Nepali Khuti area, witnessed extensive flooding, land erosion and large-scale damage to agricultural land after incessant rainfall and overflowing rivers inundated villages.
Earlier, Nazira Co-District Commissioner Pratibha Meshram told ANI that while the flood situation had come under control in most areas, 23 locations remained affected, with Napalikuti among the worst-hit localities requiring possible rehabilitation.
She said the administration was carrying out land reclamation work in severely affected areas and that rehabilitation plans were under discussion. Meshram also said the latest available reports indicated four to five people were missing, while 26 to 27 deaths had been confirmed, adding that the figures were subject to further updates. She noted that the district administration was in constant touch with officials in the neighbouring hill regions of Nagaland for daily weather updates, as rainfall upstream continued to influence the flood situation in Assam.
The Assam government has been carrying out relief distribution, damage assessment and restoration work across the affected districts, while central teams have also begun evaluating the extent of the losses to facilitate further assistance.
During his visit, Nadda reiterated that both the Centre and the Assam government would work together to ensure speedy rehabilitation of affected families and restoration of livelihoods in the flood-hit areas.
— ANI
Reader Comments
🙏 This is the Assam we know - floods are an annual tragedy. At least the Centre is taking notice now. Himanta Biswa Sarma is doing a commendable job coordinating relief. Restoring livelihoods is the biggest challenge - hope the Centre's financial help translates into real rehabilitation for farmers who lost everything.
Not being cynical, but photo ops are easy. The real test will be in the coming months when families need to rebuild. I hope the assessment teams are thorough and not just going through motions. Assam needs long-term flood management solutions, not just relief packets. Rethink infrastructure beyond temporary band-aids.
Having worked with NGOs in Assam, I appreciate the challenges. The loss of 26-27 lives in this season is heartbreaking. But there's a systemic issue - embankments built decades ago rarely get upgraded. The Centre and state should jointly focus on flood-resilient infrastructure. Gratitude to all ground teams!
Himanta ji is proactive, and having central ministers visit on-ground is positive. But here's my concern - repeated floods every monsoon mean our "permanent solutions" aren't working. We need dredging of Brahmaputra and tributaries, modern embankments, and better forecasting. Otherwise, next monsoon we'll have the same tragic story.
❤️ Seeing JP Nadda and Himanta Biswa Sarma walking through the affected areas is genuinely reassuring. As someone from Tezpur, I know how devastating these floods are. The coordination between Centre and state seems good. Just ensure the compensation amount is substantial - the crops lost are the only income for many families.
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