GUWAHATI: Congress MP from Jorhat, Gaurav Gogoi has hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday for describing the Assam’s floods as a “flood-like situation”.
Highlighting the gravity of the ongoing crisis in the state where 58 lives have been lost due to the deluge as of July 7, Gogoi accused Shah of displaying a lack of knowledge and sincerity in his comments.
“The statement of Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah regarding the tragedy in Assam shows a lack of knowledge and sincerity. More than 70 people have died due to the floods yet the Minister chooses to describe the current disaster as a flood-like situation,” the Congress MP wrote on a populat micro-blogging website.
Earlier on Saturday, Shah stated that “a flood-like situation” had occurred in Assam due to heavy rains and mentioned his discussions with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
He also noted that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were working on a war footing to provide relief and rescue operations for the affected people.
Highlighting the issue of severe soil erosion in Majuli, Gogoi also stressed on the distress faced by the people of Assam due to the recent floods and the ongoing issue of erosion.
“Erosion creates more long-term losses compared to floods. It is the poor, especially women and children, who face the greatest brunt from climate change. We need massive investment in flood and erosion management in Assam. International institutions, local communities, district and state administrations, and the central government need to lend a hand,” he said.
Gogoi also expressed grief over the death of an eight-year-old boy who was swept away in an overflooded drain in Guwahati after falling from his father’s scooter two days ago.
“One of the most tragic stories of loss during the recent floods in Assam. An 8-year-old boy riding with his father falls and gets swept away in an overflooded drain. Ordinary Indians are paying taxes but continue to be neglected,” he said in another social media post.
As of Sunday, the flood situation in Assam remains grim, with nearly 24 lakh people affected by the rising waters, according to official sources.
