Assam floods: Congress demands 'national problem' status from Centre

An APCC delegation met the Assam Governor to demand the Centre declare the state's flood and river erosion a "national problem". They submitted a memo to PM Modi, highlighting the crisis is beyond the state government's capacity to handle alone.

A delegation led by Pranjit Das, Chairman of the Relief & Rehabilitation Department of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), met with Governor Lakshman Acharya to demand that the state's recurrent and severe flood and river erosion crisis be urgently declared a "national problem". The delegation submitted an urgent multi-point memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Union Jal Shakti Minister, and the Union Finance Minister through the Governor on Wednesday.

The Devastating Impact of Floods and Erosion

According to the memorandum, the people of Assam have been suffering irreparable losses year after year due to floods and severe riverbank erosion for decades. Approximately 40% of the state's total land area, or around 31.05 lakh hectares, is flood-prone, significantly higher than the national average of 10.2%.

Heavy siltation in the Brahmaputra and Barak river basins, torrential monsoon rains, shallow riverbeds, embankment breaches, and the impacts of climate change have further aggravated the situation. Consequently, the livelihoods of lakhs of people, including farmers, daily wage labourers, and tea garden workers, are being destroyed, leaving countless families permanently displaced.

A Call for National Intervention

The APCC delegation emphasised that the magnitude and recurring nature of this crisis lie beyond the sole capacity of the state government. Therefore, to achieve a permanent and scientific solution, they demanded that the Central Government immediately recognise this crisis as a "national problem."

Comprehensive Master Plan and Task Force Demanded

The memorandum urged the formation of a high-level Task Force comprising central and state government officials, scientists, technical experts, and representatives of flood-affected people. Furthermore, it demanded the allocation of adequate central funds to prepare a comprehensive Master Plan involving river course regulation, embankment strengthening, scientific dredging, real-time flood forecasting, early warning systems, and planned rehabilitation for displaced families. The memorandum also highlighted the need for effective coordination among all concerned central ministries to ensure integrated management of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

The delegation maintained that temporary relief alone cannot provide a lasting solution to this long-standing crisis. Thus, to ensure a safe, dignified, and sustainable future for the people of Assam, the delegation urged that the central government should take this historic and sensitive decision at the earliest. (ANI)

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