Guwahati, Aug 4: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed that most of the people affected in the Upper Assam flood depend on coal-sand mining activities in neighbouring Nagaland, and they must decide on closing the “illegal” ones.
Sarma’s statement came following the opposition’s demand to shut all illegal coal-sand mining to prevent a recurrence of floods in Upper Assam districts.
After visiting some flood-hit areas, he also said that Assam cannot stop any mining taking place in Nagaland, and the central government will have to be involved in the process.
In the latest wave of floods, widespread devastation occurred in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, especially in the bordering areas of Assam-Nagaland, while at least 87 people died and nearly 1.3 lakh others were impacted.
Opposition parties like Congress, Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad, along with peasant body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, have alleged that the devastating floods in Upper Assam districts were “man-made” as they result from a nexus between coal-stone mafias and influential political leaders from Assam and Nagaland.
“All people in those affected places depend on mining. So, I have requested the public to give a decision,” Sarma told reporters here.
Stones come from Nagaland as mining takes place in that state, and Assam cannot go and stop mining in the neighbouring state, he added.
“We can stop the stone crushers at Bihubor (in Assam). Coal mining also does not take place in Assam, it happens in Nagaland. We cannot dictate what policy the Nagaland government will take,” the Assam CM said.
The Assam government will try to talk to Nagaland through the central government, he added.
“No illegal mining takes place inside Assam. I will try to talk myself once this flood situation improves,” Sarma said.
When asked if illegal mining is responsible for such huge devastation, the CM said the government will have to take the experts’ opinion to find the exact reason.
“Rain takes place every year, but such a flood has never happened. Satellite data will have to be studied, and institutions like IIT will have to be roped in. We politicians cannot comment so easily,” he added.
The opposition and social groups have claimed that illegal open-cast mining in the bordering hilly regions of Nagaland created massive pits and artificial reservoirs.
During heavy rains, water accumulates in these pits and bursts downstream, triggering flash floods in Assam.
The flood situation in Assam remained serious on Tuesday even though water is receding from most of the state, while the death toll in the deluge hit localities increased to 87, and nearly 1.3 lakh people were still affected.
Meanwhile, the CM visited the flood relief camp set up at the campus of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) in Sivasagar and interacted with the flood-affected families taking shelter there.
“Assam will tide over every obstacle to rebuild people’s lives and support them in starting over, leaving behind the scars of the floods. We are taking feedback from every affected family to see if they have received relief and help,” he said.
Starting from August 9, government teams will reach every home of the affected families to conduct a ground assessment of the damage, Sarma said.
“I want to assure every flood-affected family in Assam that in this difficult time, the government stands with them at every step. From rehabilitation to restoring life to normalcy, every possible assistance will be provided. Today, in a relief camp in Sivasagar, I reiterated this very resolve,” he added. (PTI)
