Tripura floods: 53,356 people still taking shelter in relief camps

Agartala (Tripura) [India], August 28 : Thirty-one people have lost their lives, 2 injured and 1 person is missing in the recent floods caused by continuous rainfall from August 19 to 23 in Tripura, the state government said on Wednesday.
According to the state government, 53,356 people are still in the relief camps across the state.
"As of date, 369 relief camps are operational by the district administration, providing shelter to over 53,356 people in the state. The District Administration is continuing to provide necessary relief, including food, drinking water, medical help, etc., in relief camps. Over 27,000 food packets have been distributed till date," said an official release issued by the Relief, Rehabilitation & Disaster Management Department of the state government.
The water level of the Gomati River at Sonamura has come down from above the critical level but is still above flood level, according to the release.
3 teams of the State Disaster Response Force (TSR) and 2 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working on relief operations in Gomati and Sepahijala districts. About 500 volunteers of Civil Defence and Aapda Mitra are continuing to be engaged in relief operations.
"The situation is being closely monitored at the highest level. Yesterday morning, the secretary, RR & DM reviewed the flood situation with all the district magistrates & collectors. Subsequently, the Hon'ble Chief Minister also held a review meeting on the flood situation yesterday evening at 05.30 PM. As per the direction of the Hon'ble Chief Minister, DM & Collector are focusing on providing instant relief, Drinking Water, Health and sanitation, and expediting the restoration measures," said the release.
According to the release, the floods caused significant disruption in urban areas. Over 32,000 (8,000 families) people were safely evacuated and sheltered in camps, where they received food, water, and medical care. All of the 3 water treatment plants and 11 deep tube wells that were damaged in Agartala city were promptly restored.
Total 9 Water Tankers have been deployed in areas reported to have non-availability of drinking water in Agartala. The declogging and dewatering efforts are undertaken by making all damaged pumps functional, clearing city streets and facilitating normalcy.
To prevent the spreading of any waterborne diseases, regular cleaning of toilets, bleaching, disinfectant spraying and a hygienic environment in shelter houses have been ensured.
A waste management SOP for safe sanitation practices has been released for ULBs to adhere to. As the state gets back on its feet, we remain vigilant and committed to building a more resilient future for all. A preliminary assessment of assets damaged due to floods in ULBs is to the tune of around Rs. 306 Cr.
To tackle the fallout of floods on health aspects, doctors have visited relief camps 1107 times and treated 35,477 persons. They carried out 1,650 health camps for checking over 45,000 persons.
The Health Department will procure 2 lakhs of ORS packets and 20 lakhs of halogen tablets, 10 lakhs of zinc tablets and medicines for fever, skin lotions and ointments in quantity sufficient, etc. for carrying out disinfection and antidiarrhoea measures.
The Inter Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), led by BC Joshi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, has arrived in Agartala for an advance on the spot assessments. IMCT members consist of officials from Agriculture, Finance, Transport, Water resources and Rural Development sectors.
The state government will extend all assistance, including briefing the IMCT for on-the-spot damage assessment and their field visit to the areas affected by the recent floods. All departments have accordingly taken preparatory steps, said the release.