Flood-Hit Tripura: Opposition MLAs seek National Calamity Status, Central Package
Highlight:
CMRF Receives Over Rs 30 Crores
Horti sector worst affected
Damages Estimated at Rs 14,247 Crores, so far
The Monsoon session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly witnessed serious discussions on recent catastrophic floods in the state on Wednesday. Rising above the party lines, MLAs shared their thoughtful suggestions, lauded the role of organisations in reaching out to distressed people and highlighted loopholes in the system.
In the second half of the session, Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chowdhury started the short-duration discussion on "recent devastating floods in the state, the extent of government and private damage, and adequate compensation".
During his discussion, Chowdhury suggested a 10-point charter of suggestions to overcome the flood impact which affected life, properties, livelihood and social infrastructure.
His suggestions included declaring the State disaster as ‘National Calamity’, providing Rs 50 lakh to the deceased persons’ family members, loan facilities and loan waiving for the victims and use of REGA to restore the agri-land ruined in the floods etc. He also urged the State Government to analyze the role of the IMD.
Sudip Roy Barman also echoed the same concern over the role of the IMD. He urged the State government to distribute the funds donated to CMRF by different organizations and individuals.
He stressed proper planning and surveys to assess the losses incurred by individuals and the Government.
Roy Barman emphasized the need to improve river navigability through dredging. He also advocated for a special central package to support the state's recovery, offering free essential goods to affected individuals, interest-free loans
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath informed the House that 11 rivers in the state had breached danger levels, except for the Juri River in North Tripura. The floods and subsequent landslides affected nearly all regions of Tripura, impacting an estimated 17 lakh people. Over 3,70,000 individuals were forced to evacuate their homes and seek refuge in 821 relief camps.
The flood toll was tragic, with 19 deaths attributed to landslides, 12 drowning incidents, and one fatality due to a collapsed earthen wall. One person remains missing, while two others sustained injuries.
Nath also revealed that the estimated damage caused by the floods could reach a staggering Rs 14,247 crores, with the final assessment likely to increase this figure.
He presented a detailed break up loss incurred by different departments of the State government. The Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation suffered the most significant losses, estimated at Rs 3251 crores 79 lakhs. Other departments, including Water Resources, Rural Development and Housing, PWD (R&B), and Power, also faced substantial damages.
To address the crisis, the government deployed 32 SDRF teams, 14 TSR battalions, 11 NDRF teams, 1,000 trained civil defense volunteers, 900 disaster mitigation volunteers, and tank forces from various departments. The Indian Air Force provided crucial support with three helicopters delivering food packets in Gomati and South Tripura districts.
As of 12 noon today (Sep 4), the Chief Minister's Relief Fund had received donations exceeding Rs 30 crores.
Food Minister Sushanta Chowdhury expressed gratitude to both ruling and opposition party members for their constructive discussions aimed at guiding the state through this difficult time.
He said, the Prime Minister has announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Several other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh, have also contributed to the relief efforts. The Food Department has distributed over 40,000 dry food packets to those affected, and the assessment of damages to ration shops is ongoing. The Labour Department has initiated measures to provide one-time financial assistance of Rs 4,000 to 42,981 construction workers.
Other MLAs including Ranjit Das, Swapna Debbarma, Kishor Barman, Shyamal Chakraborty, and Dipankar Sen also participated in the discussion.
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