STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia on Tuesday termed the devastating Upper Assam floods of July a "man-made catastrophe" caused by government negligence, administrative apathy and rampant illegal riverbed mining.
Addressing to the media at Rajiv Bhawan, Saikia said a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) had been filed in the Gauhati High Court seeking justice and comprehensive rehabilitation for flood victims. He said the court had directed the government to submit an affidavit by November 3, but the authorities failed to furnish crucial records on relief measures. The next hearing is scheduled for December 14.
Saikia demanded a permanent halt to illegal mining along the Dikhow River and its tributaries and implementation of earlier High Court directives on deploying a specialised Task Force Battalion. He alleged that indiscriminate sand and boulder extraction had triggered the 'Hungry Water Effect', causing riverbed erosion and embankment damage.
Rejecting the cloudburst explanation, he claimed the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued no such forecast and demanded a judicial inquiry headed by a retired High Court judge with experts from IIT Guwahati and relevant departments.
Seeking compensation of at least Rs 10 lakh per affected family, Saikia said existing SDRF and NDRF norms failed to cover losses suffered by small businesses and commercial establishments. He also alleged irregularities in relief distribution and claimed many genuine victims were yet to receive the promised interim assistance of Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000.
He urged comprehensive debt restructuring for affected farmers and traders through RBI intervention, stating that the six-month loan moratorium was inadequate.
Raising concerns over the proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh, Saikia demanded an immediate moratorium and public hearings across downstream Assam, warning of potential flood risks.
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