INR 20 lakh calamity fund for Meghalaya districts

Shillong, April 5 (PTI): The severe hailstorm that lashed Meghalaya last week and affecting over 2,500 households, has forced the government to keep Rs 20 lakh each with the district chiefs for immediate relief in case of calamity, the Assembly was informed today.
On March 30, a severe hailstorm lashed several districts of the state. The most severely affected districts were West Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills and East Garo Hills.
As per initial reports, a total of 237 villages have been affected in these districts. Around 2,500 households have been affected, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla said while replying to a call attention motion moved by Congress MLA P T Sawkmie.
While informing that there was no loss of life, the minister said, areas under Mawshynrut, Mairang, Laskein, Songsak, Rongjeng and Samanda CnRD blocks were the worst-hit.
Since assessment is still going on, the figures may change, he said.
He also said the Revenue & Disaster Management Department is in touch with the Guwahati-based Regional Meteorological Centre and the North East Space Application Centre (NESAC) at Umiam for advanced weather forecasts.
The state government has also released an amount of Rs 20 lakh to every deputy commissioners in all the districts so they can meet immediate needs for relief in case of such a calamity, he said.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also convened an emergency meeting the next day which was attended by Shylla and his cabinet colleagues Sniawbhalang Dhar and Coming Ymbon, besides the chief secretary and other senior officers.
The meeting took stock of the situation and decided to take immediate action to extend relief and other necessary assistance to the victims of the natural calamity in the form of Gratuitous Relief, tarpaulins and CGI sheets, Shylla said.
The department also issued instructions to all Deputy Commissioners to make detailed assessment of damage to dwelling houses, crops, horticulture crops, livestock and poultry and to submit reports as early as possible.
Earlier, saying that climate change impacts will only get worse going forward, the chief minister said there should be a mitigation policy in place.
He said the frequency of flash floods had gone up in the state in the last few years and as per the expectations of scientists, the situation will get worse.
It (climate change impact) will get worse and there should be an adaptation and mitigation policy. We are working on a war footing in this regard, Sangma said during question hour.
Sangma said that he, along with Water Resources Minister Metbah Lyngdoh, had met Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari last week on the issue.
Lyngdoh said that various flood protection schemes to control flood water of Jinjiram River in the plain belts of Garo Hills had been prepared and were awaiting sanction from the Centre.