Guwahati: Assam government has identified six people as culprits behind the breaching of an embankment that led to a devastating flood in Silchar town, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said.
On May 24, the Assam Water Resources Department had registered a police complaint against unknown miscreants for cutting through the embankment at Bethukandi, about 3 km from the centre of the Silchar town, to let the rain-accumulated water of a wetland drain into the Barak river.
“A case has now been registered by the CID in Guwahati. The Additional Director-General of Police of CID will head the investigation into the case and a special task force will monitor the probe,” Chief Minister Sarma told reporters in Silchar on Friday.
He said that strict action will be taken against those who are behind damaging the embankment.
Sarma inspected the embankment repairing work at Bethukandi during his third visit to Silchar.
The Chief Minister said that he has asked the Cachar district administration to submit the damage and loss reports by July 15 to the government for ensuring quick disbursement of compensation.
Most of the areas in the Silchar town remained submerged for more than a week.
As of now, 24.92 lakh people have been affected by floods in 28 districts in Assam and 139 people have lost their lives.
According to the ASDMA, a total of 2,389 villages in 72 revenue circles across the state have been affected by the floods and 1,76,201 people are staying in 555 relief camps.
Flood waters have damaged 155 roads and five bridges, while seven embankments have been broken.