Assam natives stage protest at Jantar Mantar demanding special package for flood-hit Silchar 

By PTI

NEW DELHI: People hailing from Assam’s Barak Valley and living in Delhi-NCR on Sunday staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding a special economic package for the rehabilitation of flood-hit Silchar, which has been severely affected by floods.

The protestors also sought a planned distribution of relief materials in the flood-hit areas.

People in highly affected areas such as Rangirkhari, National Highway Road, Link Road, Public School Road and Chengkuri Road are yet to get proper relief materials, including drinking water, they said.

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Accusing the Cachar district administration of an “unplanned” rescue and relief operation, Joydeep Samaddar, a native of Silchar living Delhi, said, “The rescue and relief operations are totally unplanned. Youth groups and NGOs were reaching out to stranded people in far-flung areas by risking their lives as they don’t have life jackets and specialised boats for flood relief work.”

Rajib Mehera, who works at a private firm in Delhi, demanded from the central and state governments a special economic package for Silchar.

“The economy of Barak Valley has shattered. A major section of Silchar residents lost everything. The central and state governments should announce a special economic package as most of the residents, businessmen and others, lost their lifetime savings,” he said.

Rabidyuti Biswas, a professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, said, “Many people are facing acute shortage of food and drinking water. Proper distribution of relief materials is the need of the hour.”

The flood situation in Assam improved on Sunday, although five more people died and over 22 lakh people continued to reel under the deluge across 25 districts, an official report said.

According to the daily bulletin of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, the five people included four children and they drowned at different places of Barpeta, Cachar, Darrang, Karimganj and Morigaon districts.

The death toll due to the floods and landslides in the state has gone up to 126.