[Assam] Rehabilitation of flood-hit poses challenge for Govt ( The Assam Tribune, 29.08.2007)

[Buljit Buragohain]

 Rehabilitation of flood-hit poses challenge for Govt
  
By A Staff Reporter
 GUWAHATI, Aug 28 – Though the flood waters have now receded, rehabilitation of the affected people is turning out to be a major problem. On the other hand, the worst-affected Dhemaji district still remains cut off as the breaches on the National Highway 52 are yet to be repaired. Official sources in Dhemaji told The Assam Tribune that the houses of about 1600 families were completely damaged by flood waters of Kumotia river and their rehabilitation is turning out to be a major problem. Sources said that those families lost all their belongings and they are living on the National Highway. As the area is totally covered with silt, it is not possible to reconstruct the houses there and they would have to be shifted to other places.

Sources said that efforts are on to find suitable land for their rehabilitation, but the problem is, most of those people are not too keen on shifting to other places. The villages of Dihingiagaon, Bathgaon, Bhakatgaon and Morolchowk were completely ravaged as the river changed its course and the people of Morolchowk have agreed to shift to other place if the administration manages to find suitable plot of land for them. But the people of the other villages are yet to express willingness to shift to other places because of the emotional bond that they have with their villages. The Government can, of course, provide rehabilitation grant of Rs 25,000 each to the affected families, but that alone would not solve their problem as it is not possible at this stage to reconstruct houses in those villages and removing the silt will be a Herculean task. However, the Dhemaji district administration has started the move to look for suitable plot of land and a rehabilitation proposal
 would be sent to the Government soon.

Rehabilitation grant would also be provided to other affected people, whose houses were partially damaged after receiving reports of the concerned Revenue officials, but as majority of the farmers lost their crops, providing livelihood to them will be a difficult task as the funds available with the Government are limited. Sources said that some of the affected people would be provided employment through the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, but that would not cover the entire population of the district. With the paddy fields of the affected places covered with layers of silt, it would not be possible to go for paddy cultivation this year and the district administration is planning to chalk out a scheme for rabi season.

Meanwhile, the snapping of road communication is still the worst of the problems faced by Dhemaji district. Flash floods on July 12 breached the National Highway 52 at three places, thereby cutting off the district from the rest of the State and the breaches are yet to be repaired. The Border Roads Organization has not yet declared as to when it would be able to complete the repair work, while the alternative road connecting Dhemaji also remains disrupted after a wooden bridge on the road collapsed. Sources said that the essential items are now being transported to Dhemaji by boats, which is a time consuming process and from time to time, the district is facing shortage of essentials. Transporting the essentials from Dibrugarh by boats will also be a very expensive affair, sources said.

   
  ( The Assam Tribune,29.08.2007)



       
---------------------------------
 Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.assamnet.org/pipermail/assam-assamnet.org/attachments/20070829/4bba15c2/attachment.htm>