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PM visits flood-hit Assam
While making an aerial survey of flood-hit Lower Assam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he had come to get a first-hand account of the situation.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday made an aerial survey of flood-affected Lower Assam districts and reviewed the grim scenario in the state.
The Prime Minister, along with Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Santosh Mohan Dev and Minister of State for Defence Bijoy Krishna Handique, surveyed the worst-hit Nalbari, Kamrup, Darrang and Barpeta districts of the state.
The PM said: "I have come to get a first-hand account of the floods."
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who could not go on the aerial survey with the Prime Minister as he was indisposed, submitted a memorandum to him in the meeting held after Singh returned to the airport highlighting the flood situation and the losses suffered so far.
Additional Chief Secretary of Assam S Kabilan also made a presentation before the visibly anguished Prime Minister on the situation in the state.
Gogoi for post-flood management package
Assam Chief Minister Traun Gogoi has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to grant the state a post-flood management package to deal with the devastation caused by the natural calamity.
In a presentation made to the Prime Minister on Assam's flood scenario, Gogoi also urged him to take up the matter of water management with China and Bhutan as the devastation caused in Lower Assam was due to breach in the reservoir of a hydel project in Bhutan and in Upper Assam due to heavy rainfall in China.
"The main reasons for the devastating floods, which have been tormenting the state year after year with unfailing regularity, are heavy rainfall, deforestation and top soil erosion in the Upper catchements areas in the neighbouring countries, namely Bhutan, China and Myanmar", he said.
