The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reported a staggering total of 880 fatalities in Assam due to devastating floods from 2019 to July 25, 2024.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai provided these figures in response to a query from MP Sushmita Dev in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The annual breakdown of flood-related casualties reveals the severe toll of these natural disasters: 157 in 2019, 190 in 2020, 73 in 2021, 278 in 2022, 65 in 2023, and 117 reported up to July 25 this year.
To address these ongoing issues, Rai highlighted initiatives by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which have collaborated to prepare a state-level flood hazard zonation atlas for Assam, utilising satellite data spanning from 1998 to 2023.
This data-driven approach aims to enhance flood management strategies.
“Furthermore, the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) has created a comprehensive River Atlas, offering a geospatial database for the Brahmaputra River in Assam,” Rai explained.
This atlas includes critical information about the river and drainage networks, embankment locations, and road and rail infrastructure at a detailed scale of 1:5000, facilitating more effective planning and management of water resources.
In a proactive step, NESAC has identified 271 wetlands capable of channeling excess water from the Brahmaputra during the monsoon season, which could significantly alleviate flooding risks.
Additionally, a Flood Early Warning System (FLEWS) has been established for the Brahmaputra basin, providing the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) with timely alerts 24 to 36 hours in advance of potential flooding events.
Rai further informed that the Assam government’s Water Resources Department is actively implementing flood and riverbank erosion management schemes, following recommendations from the Rashtriya Barh Ayog (RBA).
The department has made significant strides, protecting 16.50 lakh hectares of flood-affected land, constructing 4,532 km of embankments, and completing 1,280 anti-erosion and town protection works.
Financial assistance from the central government has played a crucial role in these efforts. Since 2019-20, the Centre has released substantial funds to Assam under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), including Rs 503.10 crore in 2019-20, Rs 617.60 crore in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, Rs 648.80 crore in 2022-23, and Rs 680.80 crore in 2023-24.
Furthermore, additional support from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) has been provided over the years.
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