Guwahati: Former Assam Leader of the Opposition and ex-Nazira MLA, Debabrata Saikia, has urged the Assam government to launch the Special Integrated Dikhow River Basin Rehabilitation Project under the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) and the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY), seeking long-term rehabilitation of flood-hit families and ecological restoration in Upper Assam.
In a detailed representation submitted to Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, Saikia said the devastating floods that hit Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and adjoining districts warranted a comprehensive rehabilitation package rather than temporary relief measures.
The Congress leader said Sivasagar was among the worst-affected districts during the recent floods, with nearly three lakh people impacted at different stages, while Nazira Co-District witnessed extensive destruction, including collapse of houses, large-scale crop losses, damage to fisheries and livestock, and prolonged inundation of villages.
Saikia proposed that the state declare the entire Dikhow River Basin a special rehabilitation project under DMFT and PMKKKY, arguing that mining-affected communities are entitled to statutory assistance for environmental restoration and livelihood recovery.
He, however, said the exact causes of the floods require scientific assessment and stopped short of directly attributing the disaster to mining activities, while calling for an expert investigation into whether authorised and illegal mining, river morphology changes and other human interventions aggravated the devastation.
The memorandum also sought constitution of a high-level expert committee comprising officials from the Mines and Minerals Department, Water Resources Department, ASDMA, IIT Guwahati, river scientists, environmental experts and representatives of affected communities to examine the cumulative impact of mining on the Dikhow basin and recommend long-term flood mitigation measures.
Among other demands, Saikia called for permanent disaster-resilient housing, livelihood restoration grants, scientific removal of sand and silt from farmlands, reconstruction of damaged public infrastructure, ecological restoration of the Dikhow River, stricter monitoring of mining activities and transparent utilisation of DMFT funds.
He also contended that the existing compensation announced by the state government would be insufficient for families that had lost their homes and livelihoods.
(IANS)
