Floods keep Barak Valley on edge; CM to visit affected areas tomorrow
Sarma is expected to visit relief camps in Kalinagar and Panchgram, as well as an affected dyke in Patharkandi
A scene from a submerged village in Patharkandi, where approximately 85,000 people have been displaced. (AT Photo)
Silchar, June 5: Cabinet minister Krishnendu Paul has expressed concern that, despite signs of improvement, the flood situation in Assam’s Barak Valley remains precarious, threatening several areas.
He noted that large parts of Salchapra are still submerged and more than 85,000 people have been displaced in Patharkandi alone.
“More than 85,000 people were affected by the flood in the Patharkandi constituency, and many were shifted to as many as 30 relief camps,” he told The Assam Tribune on Thursday.
He added that the Chief Minister is scheduled to visit Barak Valley on Friday to assess the flood situation.
“The Chief Minister will visit relief camps in Kalinagar and Panchgram, as well as an affected dyke in Patharkandi, where a sluice gate has also been damaged. He is also expected to visit additional camps in Sribhumi,” Paul said.
Later, the Chief Minister will hold a review meeting at the Sribhumi DC office.
Given the severity of the flooding in some areas, locals said the Chief Minister may have to take a boat to access certain locations. This will be his second visit to the flood-hit region in just four days.
In a related development, Barak Valley Development Minister Kaushik Rai held a high-level review meeting in Dima Hasao with officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and Northeast Frontier Railways.
Briefing the press after the meeting, Minister Rai said the discussions centred on restoring and improving connectivity between Barak Valley and Haflong.
He also reviewed the ongoing construction along the Jatinga–Harangajao stretch and the status of railway connectivity in the Haflong–Badarpur section.
“I reviewed the region’s connectivity challenges to ensure uninterrupted transport during the flood season. The Jatinga–Harangajao segment of the East-West Corridor is expected to be completed by January 2026,” he said.
This development comes a day after the state cabinet approved a ₹3,875-crore package to rebuild the road network in the hill district. The project was sanctioned by the Centre in December 2022 following the devastating floods that year, which had ravaged the region.