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With the unprecedented climatic condition in the whole of the Northeast India, Assam with its vast network of rivers is very susceptible to such natural disasters as the twin problems of flood and erosion, which have over the decades slowed down the process of developmental activities. These problems are so complicated that in spite of sustained efforts of the successive governments both at the centre and State to find out a long-term solution, they still remain elusive.  It is to be noted here that these two problems of Assam are singularly distinct in several ways from other States in the country, that is as far as frequency, duration, enormity of damage  by deluge, and extent of river-bank erosion is concerned. Due to Assam’s unique climate and frail geology, the State experiences endemic flood, bank-erosion and other natural calamities such as landslides, earthquakes, during the monsoon season almost every year. But what has happened to Assam days before is something heart-rending. In other words, the first wave of floods has hard- hit the State earlier than usual time. Its early arrival has naturally taken the administration and thousands of families by big surprise. With a perceptible weather change in the North-East India, against high temperature in summer months, rainfall is a welcome major break from scorching heat. But this time the story is just the other way round. The situation worsened when there was incessant rainfall at a stretch in the preceding week under the influence of Cyclone ‘Asani.’