Assam Accord 'gift' NEHARI on death bed

Hydraulic lab lies idle, key posts remain vacant

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 13: The Assam Accord, signed on the 14th of August in 1985, ‘gifted’ a hydrological agency and hydraulic laboratory to help set up water resources projects and tame rivers in Northeast region. But 32 years on, the hydrological agency NEHARI has been reduced to a white elephant while its once state-of-the-art lab lies idle.

The laboratory of NEHARI (North Eastern Hydraulic and Allied Research Institute) bears testimony to the shoddy implementation of Assam Accord, even as non-implementation of other clauses including constitutiol safeguards for indigenous people, continue to be festering sores to this day.

Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta laid the foundation of NEHARI on November 25, 1988 at Rudreswar in North Guwahati, some 25 km from Guwahati. It was iugurated by then Union Water Resources Minister Janeshwar Mishra on December 6, 1996.

The institute worked smoothly for a few years but with passage of time, its costly technical infrastructure including the open hydraulic testing laboratory, gradually conked out. The powers-be at the Centre did precious little to keep NEHARI in working condition through renovation of its laboratory.

The institute was set up as a pioneer laboratory of Northeastern region for testing of soil, rock, concrete and construction materials for development of water resources and other projects. The institute has adequate facility for simulating/understanding river behaviour through physical models. Undertaking field and laboratory investigations, research and development work of basic and applied types in geo-mechanics, concrete technology, soil characteristics, construction materials and associated issues for development of hydropower, irrigation, flood control project activities, hydraulic model testing for erosion problem study and river training of soil mechanics, rock mechanics, silt alysis etc., are some of the works carried out in such laboratories.

NEHARI has the patroge of Central Soil and Material Research Station (CSMRS), New Delhi and Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune – both intertiolly recognized top institutes in the field of laboratory testing of soil and construction materials and developing physical and mathematical models in the field of development of water resources. Experts/technical hands of NEHARI had initially been imparted training on the subject by both CSMRS and CWPRS.

However, NEHARI is now gasping for life due to lack of manpower, especially technical hands. NEHARI had a specific manpower structure. However, many of the posts have not been filled since its inception, and now the set-up is on the verge of extinction. It has all along been running with manpower on deputation from the Union Ministry of Water Resources and employees of Brahmaputra Board.

The existing employees are overburdened with workload. There have been no appointments to posts like director, chief research officer, senior research officers, research officers, research assistants, laboratory assistants and others in the institute since its inception.

NEHARI could deliver the goods till 2012 so long as its pact with CWPRS was intact. Experts from CWPRS did make the hydraulic laboratory of NEHARI work properly, leading to successful completion of laboratory testing of soil and materials during investigations and also during execution of a number of projects in water resources development.

Some of these projects are Lower Subansiri Hydro-electric Project, Middle Subansiri Hydro-electric Project, Lower Siang Project, Middle Siang Project, Dibang Dam Project, Laskar Mintu Project of Meghalaya, Tuirini, Tuipal and Kolodyne HE Project of Mizoram, Dikhu Hydel Project of galand and others.

So long as the laboratory was functiol, NEHARI could generate revenue. Till 2010-11, it earned Rs 337.64 lakh as revenue. 

Many new hydrological projects are in the pipeline in the State, including dredging of Brahmaputra bed and the proposed Dhubri-Fulbari bridge across the river.

However, the laboratory failed to conduct the hydrological test of the proposed Dhubri-Fulbari bridge. Its precious machines are presently lying idle.

Employees of NEHARI are a scared lot, fearing closure of the agency by the government any time. They have already moved the government for modernization and upgrading of the hydraulic laboratory so as to make it functiol. But will the government lend them an ear?