HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 12: Minister in charge for water resources Pijush Hazarika reached Silchar on Monday on a two-day visit to Barak valley. One of the purposes of his visit was to inspect the dam in Bethukandi. The minister examined both sides of the newly constructed sluice and held discussions with senior officials from the concerned department.
During a conversation with reporters, minister Hazarika mentioned that the current situation is not as dire as it was last year. He commended the department for their work, stating that they had accomplished nearly double the required tasks. He clarified that the sluice gate remained unaffected, but the deflector, located 30 meters away from the sluice gate, was temporarily damaged and would need concrete reinforcement in the future.
The minister made a promise to construct another sluice gate at Bethukandi, at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore, to protect surrounding areas such as Moishabil and Silchar from floodwaters. He specified that a double shutter sluice gate is needed, and the construction work is scheduled to commence in October.
When asked by journalists, minister Hazarika informed them that necessary preparations have been made to deal with floods. Geo bags and 95,000 Porcupine sets have already been dispatched to various districts, with 70 percent of them already delivered, ensuring prompt action can be taken.
The minister also mentioned that chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma conducted a video conference where he directed the deputy commissioner and officials from the concerned department to take the necessary measures to prevent floods.
Following his engagements in Silchar, the minister left the Silchar Circuit House and headed to Hailakandi to attend various programs.
