Despite receiving Rs. 11,000 crore as flood relief funds, why is the situation not improving?
11 Jul, 2013
An application was filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking to get the details of funds sanctioned for flood prevention in Assam. The reply, provided by the Assam Water Resource Department, states that Rs. 11,000 crore was allocated for flood relief in Assam during the period from 2005 to 2011.
Despite receiving such astronomical amount as flood relief funds, the flood situation in Assam has not improved a bit. Even in 2012, there was a huge demand of funds for flood relief in Assam and in 2013, about 350 villages and 11 districts have submerged because of floods and this huge flash has affected the lives of over one lakh people in the state.
The water resource department report states that funds allocated for flood relief have been misappropriated and in 2012, the Assam Human Rights Commission ordered an inquiry into the alleged misuse of funds. Flood control experts opine that the embankments have been designed with poor quality material causing them to be breached each year during the floods.