Assam Floods: Rs 2 lakhs to victims from PM National Relief Fund

On July 3, 2020, Prime Minister Modi announced Rs 2 lakhs to relief funds to the kin of persons who lost their life in Assam floods.

Highlights

The Assam floods has claimed the lives of 33 people affecting more than 15 lakh people. Most of the rivers in Assam are flooded.

Rivers in Assam

The major rivers in Assam are Brahmaputra, Barak and Manas.

Why is Assam prone to floods?

Brahmaputra is the major source of flooding in the state. In Assam, the river enters into a sudden plain from a hilly terrain till it takes a turn at Namcha Barwa. It takes a U turn at Namcha Barwa and then on it is flowing in plains. This forces the river to deposit sediments. The river deposits around 800 tonnes of sediments in a year in the Assam plains. In Bangladesh, where the river joins the sea and where the actual sediment deposition takes place, it deposits 1,200 tonnes per year. Therefore, the silt deposited in Assam is huge that raises the river bed forcing the river to flood its bank.

This is a natural phenomenon and the anthropological factors are aiding to the flooding.

PM National Relief Funds

The PMNRF was set up in 1948. The disbursements from the funds are made from the approval of the PM. It was not constituted by Parliament. The fund is exempted from Income Tax act, meaning the funds donated to PMNRF are not taxable.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2020