The Assam government will build shelter homes for people displaced during floods.
An official source said the project will be implemented by the revenue and disaster management department in flood-prone areas of the state.
“To begin with, two shelter homes, which will be permanent structures to house flood-hit people, will be constructed in Majuli district and Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district on a pilot basis,” he said.
“More such shelter homes will be constructed in areas, which witness devastating floods every year, in the next phase.”
Currently, when floods strike, the affected people are lodged in relief camps temporarily set up in educational institutions and other such public places.
“These shelter homes will have solar-powered lights, water reservoirs and sufficient toilets,” he said.
He said the decision to install solar lights has been taken keeping in mind that power supply often gets disrupted in the flood-affected areas.
“There will water reservoirs to supply safe drinking water to the inmates as providing clean potable water becomes a big challenge during floods as sources of drinking water, including ring wells, get contaminated,” he said.
“Every year, hundreds of schools across the state are turned into relief camps to house flood victims, hampering the students’ education. This problem will be solved to a large extent when the permanent shelter homes will be set up,” the source said.
He said these facilities can be used to hold festivals and public meetings at other times.
The floods usually hit Assam in three to four waves between June and September every year and a large number of people are forced to take shelter in relief camps, embankments, roads and railway tracks.
The source said as part of its flood-control activities, the water resources department is taking up a slew of measures like construction and strengthening of embankments and flood walls, river training and bank protection works, anti-erosion works and construction/improvement of drainage and sluices.