Kathmandu— On Monday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached out to his counterpart in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, via phone to express deep sympathies over the severe flooding impacting the region. Dhami assured that his government stands ready to provide every possible support and assistance during this challenging period.

Assam Chief Minister Announces Comprehensive Strategy

Earlier on Sunday, Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a new initiative aimed at addressing the persistent issue of riverbank erosion in the state. During his visit to Dibrugarh district, where he inspected erosion-hit areas and interacted with affected residents, Sarma stated that a comprehensive, science-based strategy would be formulated involving experts from IIT Guwahati.

The Chief Minister highlighted that while short-term measures have been implemented by the Water Resources Department, a long-term solution is necessary to address the recurring nature of erosion caused by the Brahmaputra River. He informed local residents about an erosion mitigation project worth Rs 90 crore proposed for affected areas and emphasized the importance of technical expertise from IIT Guwahati in ensuring durable protection for vulnerable riverbank zones.

Flood Impact Continues to Worsen

According to the latest official figures, five districts in Assam are currently grappling with floodwaters. The affected areas include Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Dhemaji, impacting a total of 21 revenue circles and 335 villages. As of now, over 136,000 people have been impacted by the floods, with more than 15,400 hectares of crop land damaged.

The human toll has risen to three deaths in Sivasagar district, while two individuals remain missing from the same area. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely and are actively implementing relief measures.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.