Guwahati: Repairing damaged property and rehabilitating flood-hit families in Assam’s four districts, bordering Nagaland, is expected to cost the state more than Rs 1,000 crore, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday.The floods have so far affected 10.37 lakh people across 1,227 villages, claiming 89 lives in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts, according to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) data.Sarma said a rapid damage assessment, covering more than 8,000 families over the past three days, had already estimated losses at Rs 150 crore. “The rapid damage assessment will continue till August 30 and is expected to cover 50,000-60,000 families in the worst-hit upper Assam districts. I believe there will be a spending of over Rs 1,000 crore in damage repair and rehabilitation,” Sarma said.He said the PM had asked the state to conduct a thorough assessment and assured it of necessary central assistance.“The PM has only stressed that the names of those who are not genuinely affected should not be included. That is why we have been asked to conduct checks at three levels. There is a first survey, a second survey and a third survey through a portal in which the details can be processed quickly. Our target is to provide assistance to the people before Durga Puja,” Sarma said.The state govt is also considering building model housing colonies for families whose homes have been completely destroyed.“Many houses have been completely destroyed in areas such as Nepali Khuti, Kamal Basti, the railway station area, Bamun Pukhuri and Majgaon. Discussions are underway with the Centre, as well as various social organisations, on the issue. However, the govt will take up the construction of model housing colonies as a long-term measure only after providing the flood-affected people with immediate assistance and helping them return home,” he said.Sarma said the govt was also planning to develop areas that suffered large-scale livestock losses into long-term dairy production hubs.“Discussions are underway with the national dairy development board in this regard. The plan is to set up milk processing centres in these areas and develop dairy production as an economic activity, while restoring livelihoods of flood-affected people,” he added.
