Guwahati: Hailakandi MLA Anwar Hussain Laskar on Thursday alleged that a section of people were "politicising" the flood situation in Assam's Barak Valley rather than helping the affected.
"I would like to appreciate chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal for taking active role in tackling the floods in Barak Valley. Senior officials are monitoring the relief and rescue operations adequately. The civil and police administration have played a vital role during the disaster. But some people are politicising the situation," the AIUDF legislator said here.
"Congress leader Rakibul Hussain toured the flood-affected areas, took some photographs, criticised the AIUDF and left. I am disappointed by his remarks as all three AIUDF legislators in Barak Valley have been working 24x7. I have not only visited various flood-affected areas but also arranged boats using my money to evacuate people and supply relief materials as there was a shortage of boats provided by the district administration," Laskar said.
He also demanded an inquiry over "non-functional" vehicles purchased to supply fresh drinking water. He said 330 villages have been affected by the floods.
Laskar also demanded that the state government notifies Hailakandi as a flood-affected district and carry out emergency repairs of critical infrastructure.
Hailakandi situation: The flood situation in Hailakandi district improved in the past 72 hours with the three major rivers, the Katakhal, the Dhaleswari and the Barak, flowing below the danger level. Of the 331 affected villages, only 105 villages are under water.
The number of relief camps has come down to 31, housing 33,128 inmates. All the relief camps at Lala and Katlicherra have been closed. Twenty-six medical teams have been deployed in the affected areas and relief camps in Algapur and Hailakandi revenue circles.
Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal will visit Hailakandi on Saturday to assess the flood damages. He will hold a review meeting with district administration officials and heads of departments.
Deputy commissioner Adil Khan held a meeting on Thursday with officials in connection with the chief minister's visit and directed them to submit detailed reports on Friday.
Additional reporting by our Hailakandi correspondent
