Meghalaya floods: 5 killed, over 1 lakh affected due to floods in West Garo Hills

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At least five people have lost their lives and over a lakh have been affected due to the floods in the plain belt of West Garo Hills in Meghalaya, the area District Collector Ram Singh said. Most victims hail from Tikrikilla community.

The area has witnessed a surge in water levels since the last one week, with most areas submerged under the flood, caused by the backflow of the Brahmaputra river. As many as 175 villages have been affected by the flood, he added.

The government has promised an ex gratia payment to the family members of those who lost their lives in the floods. With over 1,70,000 people affected by the floods, the district administration has set up 22 relief camps.

Opposition MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma visited the areas to take stock of the situation. Speaking to ANI, Congress spokesperson Zenith Sangma said, “It is the duty of the district administration and the government to help the affected areas. I visited the community quarantine centres. While the social distancing norms are being maintained, no assistance has been provided by the government so far.”

“During the last budget session, the Chief Minister had promised aid, but no assistance has been provided until now,” he added.