The devastating floods that ravaged the state in August continue to impact the state, despite ongoing recovery efforts. While the immediate crisis has subsided, the long-term consequences of the disaster are still being felt by thousands of affected residents.
As of September 11, 2024, 67 relief camps remain operational across the state, providing shelter to 3,873 people. The District Administration is working tirelessly to distribute essential supplies, including food, drinking water, and medical assistance, to those affected by the floods.
Total 36 persons have lost their lives, and one is reported to be missing. Out of these 36 deaths, 22 are due to landslides, 13 are due to drowning and one due to house collapse. The break up is 23 Males, 7 Female and 6 Children.
Full payment of Rs 4 lakh per case has been made in 26 cases out of 36 death cases. In 7 cases partial payment has been made. Overall, Rs104.85 lakh has been disbursed as ex-gratia. The full payment for remaining cases will be completed very soon.
The Health Department has conducted 2,632 camps in flood-affected areas, treating 1,10,289 individuals. To prevent the spread of waterborne diseases, rigorous sanitation measures are being implemented, such as regular cleaning of toilets, bleaching, and disinfectant spraying. Thankfully, there have been no reported outbreaks of waterborne or skin diseases.
The floods caused significant damage to infrastructure, with 62,205 houses affected. Of these, 8,830 houses were fully damaged and 8,978 were severely damaged. The government has provided interim relief to 10,483 houses, amounting to Rs 11.92 crores.
Despite the challenges, educational institutions have remained open, with normal attendance levels restored. To support students, around 20,000 books have been distributed to schools. Mid-day meal kitchens continue to operate in all schools.
To address food security, the government has announced a free ration distribution of 10 kg per ration card for two months under the Chief Minister’s Relief Package. This initiative will be implemented within the next 10 days.
The floods severely impacted water resources, damaging 1,136 lift irrigation schemes. While 140 schemes have been restored and 426 are under repair, the goal is to restore 972 schemes before the winter cropping season.
Out of 1,664 roads damaged restoration works of 81 roads is completed, 187 roads are in progress, tender for 553 roads is in progress and 843 road estimates are being done. PWD is planning major road restoration, 85 repairs by October 5 next.
The Power Department has successfully restored power to all sub-divisions and divisions. Amarpur, Santirbazar, Sabroom, and Udaipur are nearing 100% restoration, with completion expected this week.
Drinking water facilities have been restored to approximately 98% of households. The remaining households in Jirania, Bishalgarh, Udaipur, Amarpur, Belonia, and Sabroom are expected to be fully functional within a week.
Nevertheless, while significant progress has been made in the recovery efforts, challenges remain. The long-term impact of the floods on the state’s economy, agriculture, and livelihoods is still to be assessed. The government will need to continue providing support to affected communities and implement sustainable recovery plans to ensure that Tripura can rebuild and thrive in the aftermath of this disaster.
