Congress Urges Central Government to Address Ecological Concerns in Assam
Congress Takes Action on Ecological Issues
A file image of APCC Chief Gaurav Gogoi. (Photo)
GUWAHATI, Oct 30: The Congress party announced on Thursday that the Central government has acknowledged a letter from Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi concerning the "ecologically harmful activities" occurring in the upper catchment and basin of the Dikhow River, which borders Assam and Nagaland, leading to significant flooding downstream.
Gogoi, who serves as the Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and heads the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), had previously reached out to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, both through a letter and in a personal meeting, urging immediate action on the issue.
In a written response, Minister Yadav confirmed that instructions had been sent to the relevant departments of both Assam and Nagaland to take necessary measures.
Following heavy rainfall in July, water levels in the Dikhow and its tributaries surged alarmingly. The intense downpour from July 18 to 22 resulted in catastrophic flooding across Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, and Golaghat districts.
Over seven lakh individuals were impacted, with more than 1.1 lakh hectares of farmland inundated, causing extensive destruction to homes, livestock, and infrastructure.
In his correspondence, Gogoi pointed out that the upper catchment of the Dikhow is suffering from "illegal coal mining, unregulated sand and gravel extraction, dumping of mining waste, deforestation, stone quarrying, and rampant hill-cutting," all of which have severely disrupted the river's ecological integrity.
To tackle these issues, he advocated for a comprehensive scientific assessment of the entire Dikhow basin, the establishment of effective monitoring systems, ecological restoration initiatives, and enhanced collaboration between Assam and Nagaland to reduce future flood risks.
In his reply, Yadav noted that mining operations are required to secure prior Environmental Clearance (EC) under environmental regulations, with an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) evaluating proposals to recommend necessary environmental protections.
Mining activities not falling under these regulations are managed through the consent processes of the respective state pollution control boards.
On September 30, the Union Ministry directed the relevant authorities in Assam and Nagaland to investigate the situation within their jurisdictions, conduct field verifications as needed, and enforce strict penalties for any breaches of environmental regulations.
Additionally, the principal chief conservators of forests (PCCFs) in both states have been instructed to implement measures for the management and protection of catchment areas.
Moreover, since flood management, river system restoration, and pollution control are under the purview of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, these matters have also been referred to the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation for appropriate action.
By
Staff Reporter