Amit Shah assesses flood preparedness

New Delhi, 23 June (HS): On Sunday, Home Minister Amit Shah evaluated the country's preparations to deal with floods that occur during the monsoon season. Every year, significant sections of Bihar, Assam, and other eastern states are swamped as the water levels of numerous rivers rise owing to monsoon rainfall. The home minister presided over a high-level conference here to assess the country's overall flood management preparations, according to a home ministry official.

During the monsoon season, landslides and other rain-related difficulties occur in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and a few other states. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Jammu & Kashmir have all experienced flooding in recent years.

Union Minister of Jal Shakti C R Paatil, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, Secretaries of Ministries and Departments of Home, Water Resources, River Development, Earth Sciences, Environment, Road Transport, Chairman of the Railway Board, and NDMA officials were among those who attended the meeting. Several areas in Assam are now experiencing flooding, with over 1.17 lakh people affected across ten districts.

Floods have submerged 968 villages across 27 revenue circles in these districts, according to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a post on X. Authorities are already conducting 134 relief camps and 94 relief distribution centers, where a total of 17,661 individuals are seeking refuge, he added. The death toll from this year's flood, landslides, and storm in the state has reached 37, with one person still missing.