Centre Releases Rs 66 Crore as Immediate Relief for Flood Assistance
New Delhi
As immediate relief, the centre released Rs 66 crore as flood assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the state. This was the immediate response of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the Chief Minister Kalikho Pul has asked the PM Modi to sanction Rs 12,000 crore for reconstruction of the disaster stricken state affected by the recent natural calamities. The Chief Minister while apprising the PM on the flood situation said the disaster that struck the state was of unexpected proportions triggered by the unprecedented and torrential pre-monsoon rains.
He informed that several districts including Tawang have been severely affected, with 21 persons having lost their lives. Basic infrastructure, which had been created with great difficulty in harsh terrains and in far-flung areas has been completely devastated, said the CM.
Also landslides, fissures and massive landslips triggered by the high intensity and consistent rains have resulted in even basic amenities like drinking water, electricity, telecom, etc. in the state to be non-functional.
Whatever resources were allocated to the state under the NDRF and the SDRF through the years are utilized for providing immediate relief to the people and crucially, no major restoration work could be taken up in all these years, informed the CM.
As a result, there has been a build up of the damage to assets of the state, where roads, buildings, electricity transmission lines, health centres and schools are being subject to repeated damages every year, weakening their foundations, he said.
The CM said the challenge today was not only of an immediate mitigation of the hardships caused by these disasters, but more critically of a long term strategy that would help communities and the government in creating infrastructure that is disaster resilient and can help them better absorb the impact of these natural disasters.
Thanking the Prime Minister for sending a central team to assess the flood damage in Tawang, he informed that Rs 12,000 crore reconstruction package for the state would help assuage difficulties faced in all the severely affected districts of Anjaw, Kurung Kumey, Changlang and Tirap as also in every district where minor damages have been caused.
The Prime Minister assured all central support to the state in reconstruction activities and to mitigate flood induced disasters. As immediate relief, the centre released Rs 66 crore as flood assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the state.
