The recent floods caused damage to about 4,279 km road and 185 bridges and culverts in the state. Landslides and soil erosion on the river banks caused serious damages to the roads, culverts and bridges, informed the secretary of PWD (roads and bridges), DWS, and Health, Kiran Gitte said on Saturday at a press conference at Agartala Press Club.

Speaking about the rescue and restoration operations in post flood situation he said, restoration works would cost the department around Rs. 2,015 crore. Already 200 km roads have been restored and work for 700 km. is going on.

 Target is to complete lion’s share of the restoration work before Durga Puja. The finance department has sanctioned Rs. 200 crore for restoration of roads and bridges. Both NH-08 and NH-208 are now functional.

In context of damages to irrigation systems and works in this sector PWD secretary Kiran Gitte said, out of 1,595 lift irrigations projects, 1,182 have been damaged. Five out of seven high power lift irrigations systems are out of order now. He informed, 252 deep tube wells out of 354 and 42 diversion schemes out of 48 have sustained damages. Among the shallow tube wells, 724 out of 1060 tube wells and all three medium irrigation projects are not functioning. In addition, 92 sluice gates and 97 km. river bank have been damaged.

 This puts the total damage in the water resources division of PWD to Rs. 3,528 crore approximately. Repair and restoration work for these irrigation projects have started to facilitate cultivation of winter crops and vegetables. For their repair and restoration finance department has sanctioned Rs. 35 crore.

 Till now the department has been able to repair and restore 140 lift irrigation schemes, 2 high power lift irrigation, 18 deep tube wells, 27 shallow tube wells and 750 metre river dam.

At the press meet, health secretary informed, in the recent floods, 15 PHCs, 3 Community Health Centres, and 83 Health Sub-centres were affected, the monetary damage done was around Rs. 10 crore. The health department has directed the flood affected people to drink safe water or drink water after boiling. He said, till now 1.10 lakh people have been provided health care service through 2,748 health camps in flood affected areas. Four Rapid Response Teams are regularly visiting the flood affected areas. The health secretary further informed, there is no shortage of medicines. No reports of diarrhea outbreak have come so far.

On behalf of the health department it was also informed that the doctors and health workers, till now have visited 1,767 relief camps and provided treatment to 41,926 people. To ensure health care facilities in flood affected areas the health workers are working as per specific guidelines. In flood affected areas 739 bleaching powder packets have been distributed. The doctors, nurses and health workers are also trying to ensure safe delivery of babies by visiting concerned homes regularly. Additionally a health camp was held at Maichera of Belonia subdivions with the initiative of specialist doctors of Agartala Government Medical College and Belonia subdivisional hospital.

 Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha also visited this health camp yesterday. Among others present at the press conference were – director of Health and Family welfare and preventive medicine Dr. Anjan Das, chief engineer of water resources Sudhan Debbarma, chief engineer of PMGSY, Bimal Das and chief engineer of PWD-NH, Amit Das.