Janata Bhawan gutted by devastating fire

A devastating fire destroyed a large part of heritage building Janata Bhawan that housed State Secretariat between 1975 and 2006. The fire started at around 6 pm yesterday and quickly engulfed office of the Information Commissioner and at least six other rooms. This is the third consecutive time in the past few years that a fire broke out in this building. Fortunately, there was none injured.

According to Information Commissioner seven Computers were gutted along with furniture worth Rs. 2.5 Lakh. He said that around 6,000 files in his office were damaged but most of them could be reconstructed from the concerned departments. A short circuit has been suspected as the cause of the fire, he added. Chief Secretary PC Sharma visited the place to take spot assessment.

Ordering an enquiry into the incident Chief Minister expressed deep concern over the inferno. He warned, anyone found to be guilty would not be spared.
Meanwhile the Kamrup Metro District Administration has ordered a magisterial enquiry into the incident. Additional District Magistrate Dimbeswar Kalita has been asked to probe the incident right from today.

It took more than an hour and fifteen fire tenders to douse the flames. A section of the employees of Janata Bhawan alleged that poor maintenance and faulty electrical system caused this incident.

Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami to get Prince Clause Award

Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami has been chosen for the Principle Prince Claus Award 2008 along with 10 other persons from different parts of the globe. The awards ceremony will take place on December 3, 2008 in Amsterdam, a press release stated. Since 1997 the Prince Claus Awards have been given out each year to artists, intellectuals and cultural organisations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The theme of the 2008 Prince Claus Awards was ‘Culture and the Human Body’.

Flood situation in Assam improving

Flood situation in Assam is improving little today as the weather condition is improved. But the water levels of rivers are going down very slowly. The NH 31 is yet to be opened for vehicular movement Puthimari Natun Bazar point. It is under water since last sunda.

The condition of Majuli is still grim because the floodwaters of the Brahmaputra & Subansiri, which entered the island are yet to drain out.

The Brahmaputra is still flowing about 1.4 metre above danger level in the Bohori-Pazarbhanga area in Barpeta district posing grave threat to that area.

According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger level (DL) at Guwahati (0.16 metre), Dibrugarh (1.17 metre), Tezpur (0.33 metre), Neamatighat (0.47 metre), and Dhubri (0.94 metre) at 3 pm today. The Jia-Bharali was found flowing above the DL (0.65 metre) at NT Road Crossing, Puthimari above the DL (0.41 metre) at NH Road Crossing, and Kushiyara above DL (0.06 metre) at Karimganj during that time, said the CWC flood bulletin.

The civil administration of Majuli sub-division today issued rice and dal for the four of the 20 flood-affected Gaon Panchayats (GPs). Almost equal quantity of foodstuff will be provided to four more GPs tomorrow and the process will continue to cover all the affected GPs, said SDO (Civil) of Majuli Pramod Chandra Deka, adding the second round of distribution of relief items started with this issue today. These items will be distributed among the flood victims tomorrow. There is no outbreak of any kind of epidemic disease in Majuli.

Majuli suffering from the worst ever flood

Majuli is experiencing one of the most horrifying flood conditions with villagers trapped under water-logging situation since July 25. The situation of this water logging condition will continue till the end of monsoon, an assesment report prepared by a group of NGOs stated and total recession of the water to take effect by the end of October.

People are devoid of any employment opportunity becasue of this water logging situation. People are also fast exhausting their available food stock. There is a posibility of starvation if situaiton does not improve and immediate measures are not taken by State Govt. Due to inadequate response of the Government in terms of food support, the people have started to reduce their meal intake from the normal schedule in order to save the stock of food stuffs.

The report says that this year Majuli is experiencing the worst flood due to the breach of embankment at Matmara in North Lakhimpur district that channelled the entire water of Brahmaputra into Luit and raised the water of Luit to an unprecedented level. Luit being a small river compared to the Brahmaputra, could not resist the pressure of water from the Brahmaputra and breached embankments at two points channellising the entire water inside the Majuli island on July 25.

All the schools are closed and expected to remain closed for another two months. The mid day meal also not received by the students since last month and there is a chance of mass scale malnutrition.Although due to prevalence of superb coping mechanism many of the un-displaced affected families have shelters, but the livestock is totally without shelter and food. If this situation continues, then there is a chance of increased number of loss of livestock.

As 90 per cent of the drinking water source is completely inundated by water and with only 68 hand tube-well installed by the Government, majority of the affected families have been forced to drink flood water, so the prevalence of water-borne diseases has increased many fold and this may turn into an epidemic at any point of time.

A total of 2,543 lactating mothers are living without proper diet and hence the mother and children are at great risk of anaemia and other diseases associated with malnutrition.

ONGC tenders apology over Rangghar rig

Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Mr. R. S. Sarma has apologized on behalf of the ONGC before the people of Assam over the incident of installation of an oil rig near Rangghar in Sivasagar district. He agreed that it was a mistake on the part of the ONGC to start operations at the historical site. Sarma also said that the ONGC would take the responsibility of all the monuments for their upkeep, maintenance and repair, and that it would contribute immediately to the State Government’s relief fund for the flood-affected.

An official press release forwarded by Deba Kumar Bora, press advisor to the Chief Minister, said that the ONGC CMD during a high-level meting between the Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers, BK Handique and the ONGC management in New Delhi on Wednesday, tendered his apology over the incident.

“Handique expressed his concern over the recent development vis-à-vis ONGC and the local administration and also the installation of ONGC rig near Rangghar and subsequent agitational programme against the ONGC called by the All Tai Ahom Students’ Union. The Minister said that the situation could have been cordially sorted out avoiding confrontation,” the release said.