A CORRESPONDENT
NAZIRA: Former MLA of Nazira and ex-Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has attributed the unprecedented flood devastation caused by the Dikhow river to rampant illegal mining of stones and sand from the riverbed.
Saikia stated that for the first time in history, the Dikhow—once revered as the ‘Vashistha Ganga’—has unleashed such a severe flood due to unchecked extraction of natural resources from its bed. He explained that the stones in the river once acted as natural ‘brakes,’ regulating water flow. However, their removal has caused the river to lose depth and spread out, making it shallow and wide. As a result, heavy rainfall this season has led to severe flooding and erosion across Nazira and adjoining areas, he said.
He further alleged that despite the illegal activities being widely known, influential individuals benefiting from the trade have failed to act, questioning why those profiting from such practices would take steps to stop them.
Saikia also recalled filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL No. 62/2019) in the Gauhati High Court in 2019, seeking a ban on illegal riverbed mining and associated smuggling. The petition had warned that continuous extraction of stones would disturb the ecological balance of the Dikhow river, making it shallow and increasing the risk of catastrophic floods and erosion in Sivasagar and Nazira regions.
Following hearings, the High Court, on October 21, 2019, issued key directives to the state government. These included the formation of a dedicated Mines and Mineral Task Force Battalion under the Department of Mines and Geology to curb illegal mining, and the establishment of a high-power committee to protect the river’s natural ecosystem and prevent changes in its course.
However, Saikia alleged that the government failed to implement these directives. In 2021, a contempt of court case (Cont.Cas (C)/66/2021) was filed against officials for non-compliance. Instead of forming a new task force, the government submitted a review petition (Review Petition 101/2022), claiming that the existing forest department forces were sufficient to tackle the issue.
Saikia concluded that had timely action been taken on the 2019 PIL, the present flood crisis in the Dikhow river basin could have been averted.
Also Read: Assam: Severe erosion by Dikhow puts Nazira at risk; locals block road in protest