A CORRESPONDENT
NAZIRA: The long-standing dispute over the ownership of the Ougurijan area in Bihubar along the Assam-Nagaland border remains unresolved, leaving residents living amid uncertainty and fear. The issue has once again come into focus following the devastating, tsunami-like flood of July 19, which caused extensive destruction across several Upper Assam districts, with Nazira among the worst-affected areas.
Various theories have emerged regarding the cause of the unprecedented flood. While some allege that extensive and illegal stone extraction in the disputed Ougurijan area weakened the terrain and contributed to the severity of floodwaters flowing down from the hills, others have pointed to alleged illegal stone and coal mining in Nagaland. The exact role of such activities in the disaster, however, remains to be established.
According to local sources, some traders have allegedly been conducting stone extraction in Ougurijan since 2017, reportedly paying money to Naga individuals for access to the area. Questions are now being raised over whether the Sivasagar district administration will be able to take effective action against alleged illegal mining and stone extraction in the region.
Ougurijan has remained a sensitive area along the Assam-Nagaland border since Independence. Although the area is widely regarded as disputed, no permanent settlement of the boundary issue has been achieved between the two states.
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