Gaurav Gogoi Critiques Assam Government's Flood Response and Coordination
Concerns Over Flood Management in Assam
Gaurav Gogoi visiting flood affected areas in Jorhat
Jorhat, July 21: Gaurav Gogoi, the president of Assam Congress and MP for Jorhat, raised concerns on Tuesday regarding the lack of collaboration between the Assam government and neighboring northeastern states, especially Nagaland. He attributed the worsening flood conditions in Upper Assam to inadequate communication following a cloudburst upstream.
After assessing the flood-affected regions in Teok and parts of Jorhat, Gogoi emphasized that the severe flooding highlighted significant deficiencies in inter-state cooperation, disaster readiness, and infrastructure planning.
He stated, "Natural disasters do not respect state lines. Continuous coordination and information sharing between neighboring states are essential, particularly during extreme weather events like cloudbursts that occur upstream."
According to Gogoi, Assam was not informed in advance about the cloudburst in Nagaland, which is thought to have led to the sudden flooding downstream.
He remarked, "We have received information from various sources indicating that the Assam government did not get prior notice from Nagaland regarding the cloudburst. If this is accurate, it reveals a serious lack of coordination among the northeastern states."
Gogoi also pointed out the disorganization among government departments responsible for infrastructure, claiming that inadequate scientific planning has worsened flooding in urban areas.
He noted, "There seems to be no unified planning among departments like Railways, Public Works, municipal authorities, and National Highways. There is insufficient scientific strategy regarding rainwater flow and drainage. The emphasis has primarily been on building roads and flyovers, while flood management and drainage have been largely neglected."
Addressing the disaster response, Gogoi criticized the ineffective use of funds and resources allocated for relief efforts.
"We are still awaiting the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) assistance from the central government. Additionally, there have been issues with the utilization of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) resources," he added.
Describing the disaster's impact as unprecedented, Gogoi mentioned that residents of Jorhat and surrounding districts have never experienced such rapid flooding.
"People are enduring significant hardships. We have never seen an upstream flood of this scale in Jorhat and Sivasagar. We are visiting the affected areas to comprehend their challenges and determine what further assistance they need," he stated.
Gogoi announced that the Congress party has instructed all district units to remain active on the ground, assisting affected families while documenting their issues.
He plans to visit Sivasagar and other flood-impacted areas on Wednesday to continue evaluating the situation and coordinating relief efforts with party members.
His comments come as concerns grow over the severe flooding in Upper Assam, where heavy river inflows from the Naga Hills have submerged extensive areas of Jorhat, Sivasagar, and Charaideo.
Thousands have been affected by the floods, with the state's death toll rising to 11 as of Tuesday.