Guwahati, Sept. 14: Union minister of state for water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation Sanjeev Kumar Balyan today said floods in Assam was a "national problem" and a financial package would be worked out with leading lending agencies and organisations to fund projects to control deluge in the state.

The state government has sought Rs 10,000 crore for 66 flood-control projects, Balyan said here this evening after winding up his two-day assessment tour of flood and erosion-affected areas of the state.

This is the first visit by a central minister to assess the damage caused by floods this year. More than 35 lakh people were affected in the four waves of floods that hit 30 of the 35 districts since April. Altogether 35 persons and over 300 animals lost their lives in the floods.

Balyan visited Dibrugarh, Majuli and Kamrup (Palashbari) districts and interacted with at least 30 MLAs and scores of people affected by erosion and flood.

He heard five of these MLAs invited by the water resources department here this evening to share their views on the twin issues confronting the state which has lost around 4 lakh hectares till now. The department had invited all MLAs from undivided Kamrup and Kamrup (metro) districts in lower Assam for the meeting with Balyan.

The MLAs who attended included AGP's Satyabrat Kalita (Kamalpur) and Ramendra Narayan Kalita (West Guwahati), BJP's Siddhartha Bhattacharya (East Guwahati) and Suman Haripriya (Hajo) and Congress's Nandita Das who showed a paper clipping of a hospital washed away by floods in her constituency Boko.

Like Union home minister Rajnath Singh who toured flood-hit Nagaon, Morigaon and Kamrup on July 30, Balyan did not announce any special package.

Asked if the Centre would sanction a special package to help Assam tackle the twin problems, Balyan said the Union government would support the state in "whatever way possible" to work out a package to fund the 66 projects for building embankments to tackle flood and erosion.

He said the state government was in talks with the World Bank for Rs 1,500 crore, Asian Development Bank for Rs 367 crore and DoNER for Rs 400 crore for these projects. The Centre would speak to these agencies as well as others for funds, he added.

"After my two-day trip, I can feel what the people who have lost their land to erosion and flood are going through. The Centre is serious," he said.

Asked by The Telegraph why the Centre was not declaring the perennial floods in Assam a national problem, a long-standing demand of the state, Balyan said, "Any problem in the country is a national problem. You can quote me : Assam flood is a national problem and the Centre will do whatever is required, both in the short and long term, to mitigate the problems. There is a perception that it is not being treated as a national problem. Isn't relief being routed through the National Disaster Response Fund? This country is run on emotion and perception and we have to change it. The Centre is concerned and will work jointly with the state to resolve it."

State water resources minister Keshab Mahanta and irrigation minister Ranjit Dutta were present at the water resources department meeting and the news conference.

The other key points he harped on was carrying out a thorough study of the Brahmaputra and link it with economic development. "A study is a must to check floods and erosion. If needed, foreign experts can be engaged. It is time to look beyond embankments, time to go on the offensive to exploit the river's true potential," Balyan said while harping on the importance of big dams which a section is against without proper study.

"I come from western Uttar Pradesh and know the problems of the farmers troubled by floods. But with the coming up of the Tehri dam there is no flood in my constituency. Also see that agri revolution triggered by Bhakra Nangal project," he said.

Contacted for his reaction following Balyan's assurances, minister Keshab Mahanta, without going into details, said, "Everything is on the right track. We are hopeful."

He also said the "national problem" status should see the financial responsibility of tackling floods in Assam shift to the Centre.

Irrigation projects

Balyan also asserted that it will complete the three Assam irrigation projects started in the eighties by March next year by releasing the required funds within a month. The projects are Dhansiri, Champawati and Borolia.

State irrigation minister Ranjit Kumar Dutta and water resources minister Keshab Mahanta accompanied him.

"The projects have been delayed because of various factors, including funding and land disputes, but we are determined to get it completed by this fiscal by releasing the required amount for completion in one go as it has the potential to irrigate over one lakh hectares of land. Time has come to think why Assam is having one crop instead of three despite availability of water," Balyan said.

The Dhansiri project, which will cover 83,000 hectares, will require over Rs 500 crore while Champawati requires Rs 309 crore (covering 16,586 hectares) and Borolia Rs 157 crore (13,562 hectare). Of the 28 lakh hectares crop area in the state, only 2.17 lakh hectares has irrigation facilities.

Balyan said the funds would be arranged through Nabard at one go with the central and state governments chipping in with whatever is required as these projects have been "under construction for 36 years".

Dutta told The Telegraph that he was happy with the Centre's move. "I know a contractor associated with one of the projects whose grandfather was also a contractor associated with it. There has been an inordinate delay," he said.

However, there is another school of thought that the government should seriously look at funding small and local irrigation projects for better results.

On whether the projects are feasible, Balyan said it has been going on for such a long time that these have to be completed. "Almost 60-70 per cent of the projects have been completed," he said.