PM Modi, HM Amit Shah assure of all help to flood-ravaged Tripura

Agartala, Aug 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday once again assured Tripura Chief Minister of all support in dealing with the devastating floods, rains and landslides.

Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday apprised the Prime Minister and Home Minister over the phone about the flood situation in Tripura.

The state has been devastated by catastrophic floods for the first time in over three decades.

The Home Minister informed the Chief Minister that a central team would soon visit the state to assess the damage and losses due to the floods and landslides.

CM Saha during an all-party meeting here on Saturday had informed that as per preliminary assessment, the damage to the properties, crops and infrastructure amounted to around Rs 15,000 crore, which could rise further after field assessment.

In a post on X, CM Saha said, “Spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, spelling out all the details of the flood situation in the state. He assured full support to the people of Tripura in this hour of crisis. We are extremely grateful to the Prime Minister for his kind gesture to the people of Tripura.”

The CM, in another post on X said, “Spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him of the latest situation arising out of the unprecedented natural calamity of floods in the state. He assured of continued all out support to the state government. He also informed that the Union government would be sending a team to Tripura immediately to take stock of the situation. Grateful to the Home Minister for instantly coming to the aid of the people of Tripura in this hour of crisis.”

CM Saha and Home Minister Shah had earlier on a number of occasions discussed the heavy rain and floods that started in the state on August 19.

The overall flood situation in Tripura further improved on Monday with the water receding in many places even as 1.17 lakh people are still in 525 relief camps in various districts.

The catastrophic flood till Sunday claimed 31 lives, including women and children, and a few other people were injured in landslides in six of the eight districts -- South Tripura, Gomati, West Tripura, Sepahijala, Unakoti and Khowai since August 19 and two persons were reportedly missing.

Disaster Management officials said that as per the initial estimates, around 20,300 houses were damaged partly and fully due to the heavy rains, landslides and floods.

Vast areas including agricultural land and human habitations in urban and rural areas are still inundated. Over 17 lakh people were affected in the entire state till now.

Landslides occurred in a record number of 2,066 places and many important highways, including National Highway 8, the lifeline of Tripura, have been damaged.

Officials said that most of the highways were, however, gradually becoming operational now.

Currently, several teams of the National and State Disaster Response Force along with 500 volunteers of Civil Defence and Apada Mitra are still engaged in relief and rescue operations, an official said, adding that so far, 30,000 food packets have been distributed in Gomati and South Tripura districts.

The Disaster Management officials said that most of the rivers, including Gomati in Tripura, are flowing below the danger level now.