- Thursday, February 27, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
IT’S not even a year since the two north-eastern states of Assam and Mizoram found themselves involved in an ugly border dispute that saw loss of lives and clashes and mutual attacks. But when Assam has been devastated by severe floods, its sister state from north-east has come forward with an open heart.
Mizoram has decided to supply drinking water to Assam, according to an official statement released by the state on Sunday (26). Its chief minister Zoramthanga spoke to his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma over the phone and chalked out a plan to send drinking water to the neighbouring state, the Press Trust of India reported.
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Mizoram lies adjacent to Assam’s Barak Valley, which has been severely hit by the flood which has killed several hundreds and ruined properties. Access to drinking water has been hit and the Mizoram chief minister said his government was willing to transport barrels of drinking water by trucks to the border from where they could be sent to the affected areas as per the convenience, according to the official statement.
Sarma thanked Zoramthanga for his gesture and said he would ask his state officials to ensure that the drinking water coming from Mizoram is distributed effectively.
Meanwhile, the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) donated 14,000 litres of bottled drinking water which have been dispatched to flood-ravaged Silchar in Assam, Mizoram disaster management and rehabilitation Minister Lalchamliana said. A CYMA official said the consignment will be handed over to concerned officials in Assam before they reach those in distress.
A rescue team from Mizoram recently evacuated 33 people from a mission compound in Silchar. Of them, 16 were brought safely to Mizoram.
Meanwhile, more than 530 people lost their lives across India during the monsoon and hundreds were living in temporary relief camps, Bloomberg reported, adding that the country’s flood-affected areas were set to receive more rainfall this week.
In Assam, 2.5 million people were affected by the rains that destroyed houses and infrastructure and delayed agricultural work. Since April 6, more than 120 people have been killed in the state in drowning and landslides, the Indian home ministry said.
