Dams primarily responsible for current Assam floods: Raijor Dal chief
HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, July 17: Sivasagar legislator and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi on Sunday said that the big dam projects undergoing constructions in various locations have been changing the characteristics of Assam floods in every passing year.
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He stressed that these dam projects are primarily responsible for the current Assam floods too.
Talking to the press persons at the Raijor Dal’s office premises located in the city’s Mathgaria area, Gogoi said, “Excess waters released from the West Karbi Anglong’s Karbi Langpi dam, Khandong dam located along Kopili, Bhutan’s Kuri Chhu and other dams have multiplied the loss in the state during the current floods.”
“Unfortunately, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is not ready to accept the reality,” he said.
Citing the report prepared by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources in 2021, the Raijor Dal president said that even the Committee accepted that dam projects have impacted Assam’s flood scenario, turning the situation from bad to worse.
He asserted that the Committee also expressed anxiety over the severe deluge created in the Brahmaputra valley due to the dams constructed in the highlands of Arunachal Pradesh.
“Assam government’s stand on dams and current floods is pitiable. Precisely, with an aim to serve the purpose of the Centre, the chief minister is compromising with the interest of the people of Assam,” Gogoi said.
Expressing concern over the Centre as well as the state government’s financial aid provided to the flood-hit residents, the Raijor Dal supremo said that according to guidelines, the government of India is providing Rs 95,100 for the pucca houses completely damaged by the floods, Rs 5,200 for the partially damaged pucca house while a meagre amount of Rs 3,200 is paid for repairing of the kutcha houses damaged by the floods.
He said, “Repairing or rebuilding a house damaged by the floods with the token amount provided by the Centre is not possible at all. The Assam government should press the government of India to pay at least Rs 10 lakh to the flood affected residents whose houses were completely damaged by the deluge. Accordingly, the Centre should also increase the financial aid provided for rebuilding the partially damaged pucca and kutcha houses.”
