Amra Ram submitted a memorandum to the prime minister on the huge devastation caused by floods and landslides in Tripura. The memorandum recounted the huge devastation of houses, shops, crops, mainly paddy and vegetables, domestic animals, fisheries, roads, bridges, vehicles, and other infrastructure and the resultant miseries to the people, especially the farmers and rural workers due to the unprecedented floods and landslides in Tripura during August 19-24, 2024.
The death toll was 32, mainly due to landslides at the above places. As per the revenue estimates, 20,300 houses were damaged across the state and those families are facing severe misery. Most of these houses are built of mud and stones and belong to the rural poor. The loss of crops and livestock has been widespread across the State and almost all the districts have been affected. The rivers including Gomti, Sonamura and Mohri were flooded and caused huge damage to houses, buildings, roads and other infrastructure.
Out of 37 lakh population, 17 lakh people have been affected by the natural calamity. Over 4 lakh people have taken shelter in 369 relief camps. However, in many of these camps there was a lack of provisions and the people were actually supported by the local people and various social organisations. Shortage of food, water and medicines is a matter of concern in the relief camps as well as in the affected villages and towns.
As per the preliminary estimates by the state government, the loss suffered by the economy is to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore and later updated to Rs 18,000 crore. It seems that after physical verification it may go above Rs 25,000 crore. This indicates the massive nature of the ever-largest natural calamity in Tripura in the post-independence period.
The state government has declared entire districts of Tripura as ‘Natural Calamity Affected Area’. However, so far the chief minister did not demand that the union government declare the floods and landslides in Tripura as a national disaster. This is highly necessary to ensure adequate financial assistance from the union government, the memorandum pointed out.
The incidents of extreme, uncertain climate change are on the rise in the recent period. This necessitates that the union government develop a better climate monitoring and research system with proper mechanisms involving the State governments and the people, ensuring well in advance warning and precautionary measures to avoid loss of lives and resources.
The memorandum appealed to the prime minister to take action on:
1. Union government immediately must declare this ever-largest devastation due to natural calamity in Tripura as a national disaster.
2. Direct the state government to hold immediate physical verification of the affected fields and houses, prepare estimates of the actual loss, and list the loss of crops, livestock and fisheries, houses and buildings, roads and other infrastructure.
3. The union government must provide interim compensation of Rs 15,000 crore to support the state from the National Disaster Management Fund immediately. After assessment of the actual loss, give adequate financial assistance to cover the entire damage caused. Provide Rs 1 crore and one government job each to the families of all the deceased.
4. Special package to construct houses to all those who lost houses in the flood and landslide.
5. Under MGNREGS, provide 200 days of work and Rs 600 as daily wage to all the families demanding jobs.
6. Waive agricultural loans of all the flood-affected farmers and provide fresh credit without interest to restart cultivation. Provide 100 per cent compensation under insurance coverage to crop loss.
7. The system of weather forecast and early warning to states in the context of such natural calamities needs to be greatly and urgently improved in order to avoid such huge loss of lives, resources and to protect infrastructure and assets.
