Guwahati, Aug 12:Who is to blame for Guwahati’s flash floods- a Meghalaya university or something more complicated. Its a flashpoint in the ongoing struggle to balance development with nature in one of country’s most ecologically sensitive regions.
After Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had put the blame on University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) as one of the culprits behind Guwahati’s flash floods, the university on Sunday hit back with facts.
“USTM campus area in the satellite map image shown in media is only a small part of the Baridua Area till Jorabat in Ri Bhoi district which has largely developed on both sides of the G S Road. The campus contributes maybe a miniscule portion of the total water that flows down the Killing Road through the various drains to the G S Road on both sides of the road. The campus infrastructure expansions have all requisite permissions from the Govt of Meghalaya” the university said in a statement.
Almost 6000 students are studying and 1500 faculty and employees are working at USTM from across the northeastern states with a considerable share from Assam that being the largest of NE states.
The university said the news of its campus being a key reason of Guwahati flash floods, which is making rounds in the media these days, seems to be erroneously concluded. “Even after thorough investigation by the departmental experts and authorities, it has not substantiated any such situation in USTM Campus leading to such a conclusion” the statement said.
Assam chief minister showed a time lapse video on X on the destruction in other regions of Greater Jorabat Hills in Meghalaya.
It also explains how a cloud burst here leads to rapid floods in Guwahati, like the one recently. “The deforestation where USTM University is located is self explanatory” he said.
“USTM has dug up a big hill, taking advantage of their geographic location in Guwahati and Meghalaya,” Sarma declared. “More than 4-5 hills have been removed to construct the university.” He suggested that the situation might have been different if Assam and Meghalaya had coordinated better during the university’s construction, but now, he said, the damage is done. His proposed solution? Divert the water to nearby wetlands like Deepor Beel or Shilsaku Beel, a move that would require massive infrastructure changes. The Assam chief minister had said he would talk to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on the issue.
The university on Sunday pointed out that it has implemented a host of eco-friendly initiatives, from water harvesting and recycling to maintaining natural water reservoirs on campus. “We have five big Natural Water Reservoirs where the maximum rainwater of the campus is reserved,” the university highlighted. USTM insisted that its campus represents only a tiny fraction of the Baridua area and contributes “maybe a minuscule portion” of the water that eventually makes its way to Guwahati.
In its defense, USTM underscored that all its infrastructure expansions were made with the necessary permissions from the Meghalaya government.
The university is setting up a major medical facility being developed in partnership with the Meghalaya government and guided by top experts from IIT and NIT.
Both the states have lost forest cover due to various reasons. According to the State of Forest Report (2021), while Assam had lost 15 sq kms of forest cover, Meghalaya had lost 73 sq kms of forest cover.
