Guwahati, July 18: Chief minister Tarun Gogoi today released the Flood Hazard Atlas of Assam.

The atlas, a database generated over the past 10 years (1998-2007), provides the spatial extent of flood inundation and frequency of occurrence, that were used to generate the flood hazard maps. The database estimated that nearly 2.2 million hectares of land in Assam was affected by floods at least once during the last 10 years and about 0.13 million hectares get inundated every year.

The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) prepared the atlas under the disaster management support programme of the Indian Space Research Organisation. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority was the nodal agency for the entire project.

Gogoi, while releasing the atlas, said with the availability of such a comprehensive database his government would be in a better position to take both short and long-term measures to effectively tackle flood disasters.

He said the state had been facing the most challenging task of managing floods every year.

“We cannot stop floods. However, the government can mitigate or minimise pre and post-flood disasters. The government will take data provided by the atlas seriously and chalk out a comprehensive plan to mitigate the suffering of flood-affected people,” Gogoi said.

Principal secretary of revenue and disaster management V.K. Pipersenia expressed his gratitude to the NRSC for preparing the Assam atlas. He said there was an urgent need to have such a database to take appropriate and effective steps to scientifically tackle the annual floods in the state.