Agartala, Aug 30: The Tripura Disaster Management Authority (TDMA) amid the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to take stock of the damages and losses caused by the recent week-long floods and landslides has declared the entire state as a "Natural Calamity Affected Area".

The six-member IMCT, which arrived here on Wednesday, visited the worst-hit Gomati and South Tripura districts on Thursday.

Tripura Government's Relief, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Secretary Brijesh Pandey said that the decision to declare the entire state as a "Natural Calamity Affected Area" was taken considering the gravity of the situation, leading to loss of human lives and damage to public and private properties.

The decision was taken by the State Executive Committee of TDMA headed by Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha.

Secretary Pandey said that the IMCT visited affected areas of South Tripura and Gomati districts as part of their on-the-spot field assessment of the damage to the crops, various infrastructures including roads, buildings, dwelling houses and properties.

District Disaster Management Authorities led by respective District Magistrates and Collectors and other officials from different departments have taken preparatory steps to facilitate IMCT in on-the-spot assessment of damages.

The IMCT, led by B.C. Joshi, Joint Secretary (Foreigners Division) in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), comprises senior officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Expenditure (Ministry of Finance), and Ministries of Jal Shakti, Rural Development, and Road Transport and Highways.

Earlier during an all-party meeting, Chief Minister Manik Saha had informed that as per the preliminary assessment, the damages to properties, crops and infrastructure amounted to around Rs 15,000 crore, which could rise further after field assessment.

According to Secretary Pandey, the catastrophic floods in Tripura claimed at least 32 lives, besides affecting over 17 lakh people.

Around 53,000 people are still lodged in 346 relief camps in the flood-affected districts.

Landslides triggered by heavy rain occurred at 2,066 places, including many important highways such as National Highway 8, the lifeline of Tripura.

Disaster management officials said that as per the initial estimates, around 20,300 houses were damaged either fully or partially due to the heavy rain, landslides, and floods.

So far around 1,000 drinking water schemes have been repaired and the remaining sources are also being repaired on a war footing.

In all, 4,734 schools in the state have been reopened on August 27 except 163 schools which are yet to be re-opened as either relief camps were set up in these schools or badly damaged due to the floods. These schools are in four districts -- Dhalai (14), Sepahijala (33), Gomati (65) and South Tripura (51).

The Relief Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Department of the state government has so far released Rs 79 crore to eight districts to undertake relief, rehabilitation, and restoration work.

--IANS

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