Govt offers Rs 4 L to landslide victims’ kin; deploys flood volunteers in each locality

Guwahati, June 1: The Assam government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of five people who lost their lives in the recent landslides in Kamrup Metro.

Minister of Urban Affairs Jayanta Mallabaruah announced the compensation on Sunday following a coordination meeting with officials from the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), and district administration.

“It is heartbreaking that five individuals lost their lives. We have ensured Rs 4 lakh compensation for each victim’s family. Ward commissioners have been instructed to hand over the cheques today itself,” said Minister Mallabaruah.

The minister emphasised that alongside the financial compensation, the government is rolling out extensive relief measures to address both immediate and logistical challenges posed by persistent waterlogging across several localities in Guwahati.

Despite prior relief operations, several flood-hit areas have remained underserved, he said. According to Mallabaruah, teams had earlier distributed aid across various localities, but some zones remained inaccessible due to severe inundation and lack of transportation corridors.

“I personally visited the areas where relief could not be delivered effectively. We noticed that in several waterlogged pockets, even boats are primarily used to ferry stranded people, making it difficult to transport relief materials simultaneously. Moreover, we don’t have green corridors or alternative routes to move materials swiftly in those localities. That’s a big gap we’re trying to fill,” he said.

To counter this, the government has now decided to stockpile relief materials in advance in elevated areas within the most flood-prone zones such as Anil Nagar and Tarun Nagar. These pre-positioned supplies will enable quicker distribution when flooding cuts off access.

In addition to food and water, the government is offering mosquito coils, candles, sanitary napkins, and baby food for families with infants.

Mallabaruah noted that during recent assessments, several houses in Hatigaon and other areas reported partial structural damage and loss of household items like clothes and utensils.

“We’ve heard from people in Hatigaon that many of their belongings were damaged. We’ve decided to provide additional financial aid for such losses, and a proper survey has been ordered to assess the extent of the damage,” the minister said.

As part of the enhanced preparedness strategy, each municipality will identify ten volunteers in their respective areas. These individuals will be equipped with essential gear like raincoats and gumboots to support on-ground operations during waterlogging events.

“Our mandals and gaon buras already cover large areas. Having local volunteers in each locality will help us reach the affected people faster,” Mallabaruah explained.

He also addressed preparedness for landslide-prone areas, instructing the deployment of machinery like JCBs to clear debris quickly and evacuate vulnerable residents if needed.

Regarding urban drainage, Mallabaruah acknowledged that while one round of desilting had been completed recently, the repeated waterlogging had rendered those efforts insufficient.

“We’ve already done one phase of desilting. But due to fresh floods, the drains are again blocked. We will begin another round of desilting within three to four days once the water recedes,” he assured.

The minister concluded by condemning an incident where a female journalist was injured during a recent incident in Jorhat.

“It is unfortunate and shameful that amid the chaos, a journalist was hurt and her clothes were reportedly torn. There were barely any people from the field, those who were there just came to show their faces. This is what happens when politics is driven by theatrics,” he remarked, taking an indirect swipe at APCC chief Gaurav Gogoi.