Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Friday that the Central government would expedite the release of financial assistance to Tripura, which is grappling with extensive damage caused by recent floods and landslides. The state government has sought financial support to mitigate the impact of the devastation, with the total damage estimated at Rs 15,000 crore.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Zilla Sabhadhipati and other members of the South Tripura Zilla Parishad, Shah acknowledged the state’s request for assistance. Chief Minister Dr. Saha mentioned that, following the Home Minister’s direction, all necessary formalities concerning the damage to crops, infrastructure, and properties have been completed. A senior state official is currently in Delhi to brief Central government officials on the situation.
The Chief Minister further highlighted that a six-member inter-ministerial Central team (IMCT) had recently visited the worst-affected districts—Gomati, Sepahijala, Khowai, and South Tripura—to assess the damage over four days. The IMCT has since submitted its report to the Central government.
The floods and landslides, triggered by unprecedented rainfall, caused extensive damage to public and private properties, infrastructure, and crops. Dr. Saha pointed out that the state government had announced a special package of Rs 564 crore to aid recovery efforts. The catastrophic floods, the worst in over three decades, affected more than 17 lakh people and resulted in the tragic loss of 36 lives, including women and children.
In addition to the damage to over 62,200 houses, landslides caused by heavy rains occurred in 2,066 locations, affecting homes, agricultural lands, roads, bridges, electrical infrastructure, fisheries, animal resources, and buildings, particularly in the districts of Gomati, South Tripura, Sepahijala, and Khowai. State Relief, Rehabilitation, and Disaster Management Secretary Brijesh Pandey reported that 3,873 flood-affected individuals are still being housed in 67 relief camps across various districts.
As part of the relief efforts, the Tripura government has announced that it will provide free rations at the rate of 10 kg per ration card for two months, under the Chief Minister’s Relief Package, to support those impacted by the floods.