Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, arrived in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday but was unable to undertake the scheduled aerial survey due to inclement weather. The minister will now conduct an extensive ground and aerial inspection of flood-affected areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam on July 1, spending the entire day assessing the situation of affected farmers and families. Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Pema Khandu will accompany him during the visit.
After reaching Itanagar, Shri Chouhan met with local residents from flood-hit areas who described how floodwaters submerged agricultural fields, destroyed standing crops, damaged homes, and disrupted livelihoods. The minister assured them that no affected family would be left behind in the relief and rehabilitation process. At a review meeting with senior officials at the Itanagar Secretariat, Shri Chouhan discussed the prevailing flood situation, relief material distribution, ongoing rehabilitation measures, and future course of action.
The inspection plan for July 1 includes visiting flood-hit villages and relief camps across Arunachal Pradesh to interact directly with affected residents, personally assessing damage to agricultural fields, evaluating livestock conditions, and examining the overall impact on daily lives and livelihoods. An aerial survey will review the condition of rivers, embankments, roads, bridges, and agricultural land across both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Later in the evening, the minister will chair a review meeting in Guwahati with Assam government officials to discuss flood management, relief distribution, embankment and road repairs, infrastructure restoration, and financial assistance for affected farmers.
The minister emphasized that while immediate relief remains the top priority, equal attention must be given to long-term strategies including better drainage systems, stronger embankments, safer shelters, improved flood-management infrastructure, and more effective crop insurance mechanisms to minimize future losses and strengthen rural community resilience. The floods have caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, and houses, with farmers suffering severe setbacks as crops including oranges, bananas, and paddy have been completely destroyed.