While Assam is fighting an all-out war against a COVID-19, the flood situation, triggered by heavy rains, is also worsening in the state. On Monday, four more people died taking the total death toll due to floods in the state to 24.

According to a report by news agency IANS, more than 13 lakh people in 25 of the state’s 33 districts have been affected.

Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that in the current wave of floods since early last week, nine persons have so far died in Barpeta, Dhemaji, Udalguri, Goalpara and Dibrugarh districts taking the total death toll to 24 in the floods and 23 more people were killed in separate landslides since May 22.

The northeast region of the country, including Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, is under a spell of floods. Most rivers including the  mighty Brahmaputra are flowing above danger levels in many places and inundating fresh areas everyday.

After the Centre decided to pitch for locally made products in order to bring the economy back on track, the government announced the export of 50 lakh coronavirus personal protective equipment (PPE suits) every month. Taking to Twitter, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, “Boosting Make in India exports, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) medical coveralls for COVID-19 have been allowed with a monthly export quota of 50 lakh.”

The PPE coveralls are designed to protect the frontline workers from exposure to the novel coronavirus.

According to a notification shared by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, apart from hazmat suits, other constituents of a PPE kit such as goggles, face-shield, mask, gloves, head cover, and shoe cover remain prohibited for exports.

“A monthly quota of 50 lakh PPE medical Coverall for COVID-19 units has been fixed for the issuance of export licenses to the eligible applicants to export PPE medical coveralls for COVID-19 as per the criteria to be separately issued in a Trade notice,” the notification read.

PM Modi Pitches For ‘Vocal For Local’

In his Mann Ki Baat address on June 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again pitched for “vocal for local,” urging people to buy only the products which are made in India.

“People from all over India are writing, reiterating their support to the movement to make India self-reliant,” he added.