By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has urged the central government to declare flood and erosion as national calamity. Slamming the Assam government for misuse of the funds meant for the development of the poor people, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal also appealed to the central government to monitor the utilization of the funds sanctioned by the central government.
AIUDF, which won three seats in this year’s general elections, has raised strong voice for the misuse of funds in the state in New Delhi.
Badruddin Ajmal (file photo)
“More than 65 years have passed since the independence but the people of the state are yet to get relief from the ill effects of flood and erosion. It’s very difficult to imagine the plight of the people living in flood prone areas – be it Barpeta, Lakhimpur or Majuli. Six months in a year these people have to struggle for survival in water,” Ajmal said.
Ajmal who represents the Dhubri constituency of Assam also appealed the NDA government to declare flood and erosion as a national calamity. “We are hopeful that the union government will take appropriate measures in solving these problems of common people. We urge the government to declare the flood and erosion problem as a national calamity so that it can be solved as early as possible,” Ajmal added.
Though Assam’s 40 per cent land is flood-prone, experts have opined that climate change has further aggravated the problem. Experts have warned that glacier melting in the Tibet region, where the Brahmaputra originates, is likely to worsen the scenario in the state.
A erosion site in Kamrup district.
An estimated 1.5 lakh people have been displaced after they lost their land and properties in floods and erosion in the last decade. About 8,000 hectares of land is lost annually due to the same reason. The state has lost an area of about 4.27 lakh hectares since 1950 in erosion, amounting to 7.40 per cent of the state’s total land mass. In 2013, Assam experienced the worst floods in two decades, which claimed 124 lives, damaging infrastructure, croplands and affecting over 23 lakh people.
“Another major worry is themisuse of the funds meant for the welfare of the poor people. The ministers and officials responsible in the state have been misusing the huge funds. Poor people are forced to the streets while the ministers misuse the funds. So, we also appeal the central government to strictly monitor the utilization funds,” Ajmal said during the parliament session.