State Successfully Tackles Devastating Floods with Collective Efforts: CM Dr. Manik Saha
Agartala 10 Jan, 2025: The devastating floods of August 2024 were an unforeseen natural calamity for Tripura. However, through the combined efforts of the state government, relief agencies, and the public, the state successfully managed the grave flood situation. Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha highlighted this during a discussion on a private member’s resolution in the Assembly today.
The floods affected over 17 lakh people across the state, damaging or destroying 58,780 houses. So far, the government has provided financial assistance of ₹58.18 crore to 53,830 families for repair and reconstruction. Additionally, ₹6.04 crore has been distributed for essential items like utensils and clothing. Tragically, 38 people lost their lives during the floods and landslides. Their families have been compensated with ₹4 lakh each, totaling ₹1.52 crore. Moreover, 31 families have received ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
The discussion stemmed from a resolution moved by MLA Shyamal Chakraborty, urging immediate and adequate relief for families affected by the floods. Participating in the debate, other legislators, including Sudip Roy Barman, Gopal Roy, Deepankar Sen, Ranjit Das, Jitendra Majumder, and Ranjit Debbarma, also shared their insights.
Speaking on the resolution, the Chief Minister stated that from August 19 to 23, continuous heavy rainfall triggered unprecedented floods in the state. Out of the 12 rivers in Tripura, 11 breached their danger levels, sparing only the Juri River in North Tripura. Over 4 lakh people were evacuated to safer locations and relief camps, with 2 lakh taking shelter in 889 relief camps set up across the state.
The estimated damage from the floods is approximately ₹15,000 crore, with significant losses in agriculture and horticulture sectors (₹3,252 crore), water resources (₹3,083 crore), rural development (₹3,009 crore), and public works (₹1,900 crore). Fisheries and animal husbandry reported damages worth ₹1,543 crore.
The rescue and relief efforts involved 32 teams of the SDRF, 11 teams of the NDRF, 1,000 trained civil defense volunteers, 900 “Aapda Mitra” volunteers, and 54 disaster management teams. Following the floods, an interministerial central team visited the state twice to assess the damages.
The Chief Minister informed the Assembly that the state government has submitted a memorandum of ₹7,081 crore to the central government for additional relief funds, which is currently under consideration. In the meantime, the state announced a special package of ₹564 crore for immediate relief and recovery. Donations amounting to ₹35 crore were also received in the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund from various states and the public.
Key relief measures include financial assistance to 1,48,379 farmers (₹14.83 crore) from the Agriculture Department, along with seeds, saplings, and fertilizers worth ₹16.21 lakh. The Horticulture Department provided ₹9.46 crore to 45,349 farmers and distributed over 12.14 lakh vegetable saplings. The Animal Husbandry Department supported 2,842 beneficiaries with ₹3.41 crore and supplied animal feed, medicines, and vaccines worth ₹42.11 lakh. The Fisheries Department offered assistance of ₹7.84 crore to 14,451 beneficiaries. Additionally, the Labor Department extended financial aid of ₹14.55 crore to 36,389 beneficiaries.
The Chief Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to providing comprehensive assistance to the flood-affected families and ensuring effective rehabilitation and recovery measures.
