A CORRESPONDENT
NAZIRA: A major citizens’ meeting bringing together political parties, student and youth organisations, civil society groups, intellectuals and social organisations was held at the MC Club in Nazira on Sunday, where an eight-point resolution was unanimously adopted seeking a permanent and scientific solution to the recurring flood crisis in Upper Assam.
The meeting was organised against the backdrop of devastating floods that recently affected large parts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and adjoining areas. Participants stressed the need for a long-term strategy to prevent such disasters rather than relying solely on temporary relief and rehabilitation.
The meeting was chaired by senior Gauhati High Court advocate Shantanu Barthakur and began with a welcome address by convenor Debang Sourav Gogoi.
Speakers maintained that the recurring flood crisis could not be addressed through short-term relief measures alone. They called for an independent assessment of the hydrological, environmental, infrastructural and socio-economic factors responsible for the floods, followed by scientifically planned preventive measures.
Former Assam Assembly Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Raijor Dal general secretary Dhairya Konwar, CPI(ML) state secretary Vivek Das, sociologist Banjit Hussain, Dibrugarh University associate professor Koustav Deka, Devi Charan Barua College lecturer Juri Barua, research scholar Tridiv Bhagawati, researcher Ranjita Bania and Jorhat-based advocate Hemen Bora addressed the gathering.
Co-convenor Kanak Gogoi delivered the concluding address.
Representatives of several organisations, including the CPI, CPI(ML), All Assam Adivasi Students’ Association, Jorhat civil society groups, Sammilita Nagarik Samaj, Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad and Bir Lachit Sena, also participated in the meeting.
The eight-point resolution called for an independent study, free from political interference, into the causes of the floods, involving researchers, economists and citizens. It also demanded that the Central and state governments take steps to declare the unprecedented flood situation in Upper Assam a “national disaster.” Another key demand was the establishment of a high-level Assam-Nagaland coordination mechanism for joint watershed management and flood-control measures.
The meeting further called for the formation of a coordination committee comprising experts and concerned citizens to work on long-term flood mitigation and environmental protection.
To support post-flood recovery, participants demanded that reconstruction materials and services be procured from local vendors, self-help groups and indigenous businesses to help revive the regional economy.
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