Assam seeks SC panel probe into hill degradation around Guwahati amidst floods
CM Sarma cites environmental degradation in Meghalaya hills as reason for seeking Central Empowered Committee probe;
Several streets in Rukminigaon remained inundated on Wednesday. (AT Photo)
Guwahati, May 21: The state government has approached the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), urging it to visit and assess the worsening hill degradation around the city—an issue increasingly linked to its urban flooding crisis.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Wednesday, said the state had formally requested the CEC to inspect the hills surrounding Guwahati, particularly pointing to alleged environmental degradation in neighbouring Meghalaya where large-scale construction has been steadily reshaping the terrain.
"Yesterday, while coming here, I noticed two more massive buildings coming up near the USTM (University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya). If this continues, Guwahati will be perpetually inundated in a few years," Sarma said, addressing the media after a cabinet meeting in Dergaon.
He, however, acknowledged that a complete solution to Guwahati’s flood problems is unlikely.
"Every year, we fill up empty spaces to construct buildings. There is no concrete solution to this problem," he admitted.
The CEC, constituted by the Supreme Court to deal with matters of forest conservation and environmental compliance, is expected to respond to the request within the next two to three months.
Meanwhile, residents of Rukminigaon, Wireless, Hatigaon and other low-lying neighbourhoods continued to battle waterlogging on Wednesday—despite no fresh rainfall that day.
The situation follows a punishing spell of rain on Tuesday, when the city recorded 112.5 mm of precipitation since Monday night, crossing the 100 mm mark and throwing life out of gear.
Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah was seen navigating waterlogged lanes on a two-wheeler during an inspection.
Admitting that the city’s unplanned expansion and challenging topography were key culprits, he said, “We simply don’t have the means to flush out the water in a day. This can’t be resolved overnight, but work is on at a war footing.”
To make matters worse, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Assam until May 26, raising fresh concerns for the flood-hit capital.