Covid, flood, encephalitis: Assam facing Himalayan challenge, says Himanta

Guwahati, May 2 () The Assam government is facing aHimalayan challenge as it has to prepare for tackling theflood which generally occurs during the coming Monsoon seasonand the outbreak of the Japanese encephalitis, besidescontrolling the Covid-19 pandemic, Health Minister HimantaBiswa Sarma on Saturday.

In an interactive session with editors and seniorjournalists of the state called by Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal, Sarma said the central and state governmentsapprehend that the number of coronavirus cases in the countrywill touch its peak on August 15, if the May 15 figure doesnot remain static or decrease.

"And that number will be in crores not thousands, notlakhs. The yardstick of measurement is that if on May 15 thenumber of Covid-19 patients becomes 65,000, the figure willcross one crore on August 15," he said.

If the number remains static at 65,000 or decreases,"we will be able to come out of the corona pandemic situation.If the lockdown was not there, we would have seen eight croreCovid patients by August 15," he stated.

On the mortality rate of Covid-19, Sarma said it is 7per cent globally, 3.28 per cent in India and 2.38 per cent inAssam.

By August 15, Assam generally witnesses flood andJapanese encephalitis, and so, the state is facing a"Himalayan challenge", Sarma said.

The state government has decided to upscale certainareas to Red zone depending on the prevailing situation, asfrom May 4, many restrictions of Lockdown will be relaxed andmost economic activities resume, he said.

Regarding the financial condition of the state, Sarmasaid presently Rs 4,900 crore is available in the stateexchequer in spite of the economic slowdown.

The state government has decided to release the fullsalary of government employees for the month of June andcontinue with regular appointment in government departments. ESBNN NN