Dispur mulls plan for rivers flowing into Assam through Arunachal, Bhutan

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The sudden flow of vast quantities of water through the tributaries of the Brahmaputra flowing into Assam through Arunachal Pradesh and the neighbouring country of Bhutan during the rainy season is one of the major causes of floods on the North Bank of the Red River.

State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta today stated that the Assam government will formulate a special plan for the tributaries of the Brahmaputra on its North Bank. Minister Keshab Mahanta visited several areas in Lakhimpur to take stock of the situation arising from the sudden flow of water into the Ranganadi River from Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday.

Talking to the media during his visit, the Minister said that the situation has improved somewhat compared to that of yesterday and that the state government and the district administration are actively monitoring the situation. "There are around 121 tributaries in Assam, and the sudden flow of water from Arunachal and Bhutan remains unpredictable. The water comes all of a sudden and poses a danger to downstream areas within hours. This problem is more acute in the tributaries of the Brahmaputra on its North Bank. So, we have to come up with a special and long-term plan for these tributaries. There are around 15,000 to 16,000 people on the banks of the Ranganadi in Assam. Due to the geographic situation, embankments cannot resolve the problem," Mahanta said.

The overall situation in the state is improving, as of today. An ASDMA report indicates that flood waters continue to affect 90 villages across five districts in the state. The five districts are Dhemaji, Diburugarh, Biswanath, Lakhimpur and Bajali. In the first wave of floods in the state, one embankment has been breached.

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