DIBRUGARH, July 23 ? It is stock taking time in the Dibrugarh district, now that the second wave of floods has receded. According to official figures released here, the damages to public property like roads etc alone account for Rs 10.83 crore in the Dibrugarh district. The worst affected are PWD roads, with damages calculated at Rs 3.02 crore, while rural roads maintained by the DRDA would require Rs 75 lakh to be repaired. According to department-wise damage figures, the E&D department in the district needs Rs 2.90 crore to repair dykes and ring bunds that have been affected by floods. The agriculture department has estimated its losses to the tune of Rs. 2.72 crore and the irrigation department, Rs 1.32 crore.
The Brahmaputra and Buri Dehing have breached the ring bunds at Bogibeel Chaulkhowa and at Kawoimari under the Dibrugarh West Revenue circle, respectively. 143 cattle lost their lives, and 20,552 people had to be accommodated in as many as 50 official relief camps in the district. This apart, another 91,663 people have fled their homes and taken shelter elsewhere after floods inundated their homes. Till Tuesday, the Dibrugarh administration distributed 1655.04 quintals of rice, 316.55 quintals of dal, 5000 litres of kerosene and 96.03 quintals of salt as food relief in the camps. Additional Deputy Commissioner Samsher Singh informs that the two flood waves in the district till last Sunday damaged paddy in 5019.06 hectares of farmlands and 1910 homes have been completely damaged in the district, mostly in the Chabua and Dibrugarh West revenue circles. The total area submerged in the recent floods in the district is 9260 hectares, affecting a total population of 112215. This is spread over 134 villages, of which 20 have been completely washed away and 44 partially.
The district administration here has prepared a contingency plan to tackle any future emergency by dividing the district into seven zones, each headed by a senior official. Panchayat level relief committees have also been constituted with members of the public, GP members. Samsher Singh has been designated as the district relief officer and will deal with flood related matters henceforth. A flood help line has also been opened, and its number is (0373) 2316308. This telephone number is being manned round the clock.
Appreciating the role of private donor bodies and NGOs in flood relief work, Dibrugarh DC Niraj Verma said he has assigned the local DRDA project officer, Swapna Dutta Deka to liaise with NGOs and other private parties for systematic flood relief and similar activity in the district. Verma requested members of the public to donate generously towards flood relief and disclosed that the DC?s office staff here has donated a day? salary towards the same.