A high-level central team has begun a comprehensive assessment of the widespread damage caused by severe flooding in Tripura.

The six-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), led by B.C. Joshi, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, is touring flood-affected areas in Tripura to assess the extent of destruction and losses.

The team, divided into two sub-groups, has visited various districts including Belonia in South Tripura, Sonamura, Udaipur, and Khowai, interacting with local officials and residents.

The floods, which lasted for over a week in August, have resulted in tragic loss of life, widespread property damage, and significant economic disruption.

According to the state government, the floods have claimed 32 lives and caused an estimated financial loss of Rs. 15,000 crore.

Given the severity of the situation, the state has been declared a natural calamity-affected area.

The team, led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, B.C. Joshi  today toured one of the most affected subdivisions Belonia under South Tripura district.

The other team, led by Mahesh Kumar, Dy. Director, Finance Ministry visited the Gomati district and inspected the affected areas on both sides of old Subhash Setu on the Gomati river, Maharani barrage area, defunct LI Irrigation projects,  damaged fields cropping at Hirapur, the damaged Agartala- Udaipur highway at Gandhari.

In Gomati district, the team was accompanied  by Jayanta Bhattacharjya and B.B. Das, both additional district magistrates , state disaster management project officer Sharat Kumar Das and other district officials.

They also visited affected areas at Kakraban and Jatanbari, Dumboor areas close to the south district.

The 6-member team comprises senior officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Expenditure (Ministry of Finance), and Ministries of Jal Shakti, Rural Development, and Road Transport and Highways.

The central team arrived at Agartala on Wednesday and joined a review meeting with the top officials of various departments of the state government at the civil secretariat.

In the meeting, Revenue Secretary Brijesh Pandey presented an overall scenario of damages out of floods in the state. Secretary, PWD (Roads & Buildings) and Health, Kiran Gitte, Secretary, Water Resources, Abhishek Singh, and other Secretaries of several departments including agriculture and fisheries, animal resources, gave an account of the damage caused by week long floods. (Edited)