Gogoi lays foundation of Assam Water Centre

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 20: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi advocated for judicious use of water as the scarcity of it might lead to another world war.

Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony function of Assam Water Centre in Guwahati today, Gogoi said that a holistic approach encompassing all stake holders is required to sensitize conservation efforts of water and water bodies.

Gogoi further said: "Assam Water Centre once becomes functiol will lead to comprehensive magement of the water eco-system in the Northeast, and will contribute in controlling flood and erosion and contribute in conservation efforts. Flood and erosion are intrinsically connected to the economy of the state and the Assam Water Centre as mandated would help in tackling these problems and contribute to state's economy."

Gogoi also said that Assam would have gone a long way had the flood and the erosion problems not hurt the state. He hoped that the upcoming Assam Water Centre would be an answer to all water-related problems, be it water-borne diseases, climate change and the like.

Assam Water Centre would be set up under the supervision of the Flood and River Erosion Magement Agency (FREMA), Assam under Water Resources Department and would be funded by the Asian Development Bank. A centre for research and capacity building, the Assam Science Centre would be the first-ever green building of its kind in the Northeast and the project cost was estimated to be Rs. 21 crore. The centre would also have a data centre of Brahmaputra River Basin and its tributaries and a technology centre of the latest tiol and intertiol technologies.

Assam Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla, while speaking on the occasion, said that Assam Science Centre would lead to comprehensive magement of river system and other water bodies. The Centre would also work in flood control and erosion magement and would be a solution finder to all future problems related to hydrology. Additiol Chief Secretary to the Water Resources Department Davinder Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of FREMA, Dr. K.K. Dwivedi along with others were present at the function.