Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday visited Athgaon in Kamrup district and took stock of the construction work of the road-cum-embankment project on Puthimari River.
Addressing the media persons near the project site, Sonowal said that the state government, apart from fighting COVID-19 with containment measures, was taking steps to prepare the state for the forthcoming rainy season which would bring floods and landslides.
“As the battle against coronavirus would be long, the state government has decided to resume economic activities and has also prepared for calamities like the flood that affect the large part of the state every year,” he said.
Referring to the resumption of construction work of the 48 km road-cum-embankment project, Sonowal said that Water Resources department and the district administration have been directed to complete the project at the earliest which would provide relief from flood to a large area of Athgaon in Kamrup district.
Saying that repairing and construction work of embankments had been little delayed due to lockdown forced by COVID-19 outbreak in the state, the Chief Minister urged the people to extend their cooperation to complete these projects on time.
He also stressed on the need to maintain social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols during the construction works and directed the concerned departments to ensure strict observance of the same.
Though certain relaxations and exemptions have been given during the third phase of lockdown, people should not get complacent as negligence in observing social distancing, wearing of marks, hand washing etc. would bring catastrophe resulted by COVID-19 pandemic.
He expressed optimism that with the support of all sections of the people the state government would be able to contain the global pandemic, while also preparing the state for natural calamities like floods and landslides.