NEW DELHI, Dec 13 ? Assam?s cry for assistance after the devastating floods did not have much impact, with the Centre releasing only Rs 171.87 crore for flood relief, while rest of the Rs 345 crore were adjusted.
Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Jai Prakash Narayand Yadav said after taking into account the report of the Central team?s recommendations and the Inter-Ministerial Group and norms of assistance, the High Level Committee sanctioned Rs 345.37 crore for flood relief of which Rs 171.87 crore was released after adjusting funds available under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF).
The Minister told Rajen Gohain that Assam Government had sought Rs 2505.86 crore for management of floods this year. Assam has been provided Special Plan Assistance and additional Central Assistance amounting Rs 240 crore in the annual plan 2004-2005.
Besides the HLC has also approved additional assistance of 1 lakh metric tonne of rice worth Rs 120 crore, Rs 13.45 crore from special component of Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme. In addition, Rs 20 crore for repair of National Highways, Rs 11.23 crore for Kaziranga National Park, Rs 3.02 crore for secondary education.
The Minister said that additional sum of Rs 39.68 crore was later released to Assam from NCCF, besides a scheme was approved to take up critical flood control and anti-erosion schemes in Brahmaputra and Barak Valley for Assam and North Eastern States for Rs 150 crore, out of which Assam?s share was Rs 81 crore during 10th Plan.
Flood ravaged Assam has 183 stable patches of river islands with vegetation covering an area of 16,685 hectares and 1,333 sandbars having an extent of 48,403 hectares of area, the Minister said.
In response to a question tabled by Dr Arun Kumar Sarma, the Minister said his Ministry was studying the stability of islands in the Brahmaputra River Channel in Assam using satellite data acquired in 1990, 1998 and 2002 supplied by Department of Space.
The Department of Space on the request of Brahmaputra Board has undertaken a comprehensive project on ?River Channel Changes in North Eastern Region (NER)? based on multi date satellite. Brahmaputra river and its major tributaries namely Beki, Manas, Puthimari, Palladian, Jia Bharelli, Jia Dhol and Buri Dihing are being studied for their dynamic aspects from the multi date satellite data.
The Minister claimed that embankments have been constructed along the banks of the tributaries of Brahmaputra to prevent spilling of floodwater and deposition of sand and shingles on the agricultural land during floods.
Sri Yadav further claimed that State Government was taking anti-erosion and flood control measures according to requirement. The MoWR has set up a task force on flood management and erosion control under the chairmanship of Central Water Commission to look into the problem of floods in Assam and neighbouring States. The Task Force has been asked to submit its reports by December 31.
Meanwhile, the Minister conceded that project work on Protection of Dainigaon and adjoining areas (Hatisal-Neamati) against erosion has suffered due to inadequate flow of funds with only 50 per cent of the project work so far being completed.
The Minister said in reply to a question tabled by Kirip Chaliha that the project was started in 1996 at an estimated cost of Rs 31.84 crore. The progress of the project suffered due to floods in the Brahmaputra river during July causing some damages to the works. The State Government is taking initiatives for speedy completion of the project.