Union Environment Ministry swings into action following Gaurav Gogoi’s letter on the conservation of Dikhow River and flood control:

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav informs via letter about directives issued to concerned authorities in Assam and Nagaland.

Dalim Phukan.
Hills Live News,Guwahati, October 29: The Central Government has responded positively to a letter sent by Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi regarding ongoing ecologically destructive activities in the upper catchment and basin of the Dikhow River along the Assam-Nagaland border, and the resulting severe downstream flooding. On August 13, Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, wrote a letter to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, and also met him in person to seek urgent intervention in the matter. In a written reply dated October 21, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav informed that directives had already been issued to the concerned departments of the Assam and Nagaland governments to initiate necessary action.
Following torrential rainfall across Assam and Nagaland this past July, the water levels of the Dikhow and other tributaries rose unprecedentedly. Intense rainfall between July 18 and 22 triggered devastating floods in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, and Golaghat districts. More than seven lakh people across the state were affected, over 1.1 lakh hectares of agricultural land were submerged, and extensive damage was caused to homes, livestock, and roads. Cautioning the Union Minister in this regard, MP Gogoi explicitly stated in his letter, “While extreme rainfall was the immediate trigger for the floods, ongoing upstream ecological degradation has made downstream flood situations far more critical and destructive.”
In his letter, MP Gogoi highlighted that in the upper catchment of the Dikhow, “illegal coal mining, unregulated extraction of sand, gravel, and riverbed boulders, dumping of mining waste, deforestation, stone quarrying, and rampant hill-cutting” have severely disrupted the river’s ecological balance. To address these challenges, he called for a coordinated scientific assessment across the entire Dikhow basin, robust monitoring mechanisms, ecological restoration measures, and close cooperation between Assam and Nagaland to mitigate future flood risks.
Responding to the MP’s concerns, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav stated that mining projects are mandated under environmental regulations to obtain prior Environmental Clearance (EC), and an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) appraises proposals to recommend environmental safeguards. Mining activities not covered under these provisions are regulated through the consent mechanisms of the respective State Pollution Control Boards. In this regard, the Union Ministry issued directives to the concerned authorities of the Assam and Nagaland governments on September 30. The Ministry asked the Directorates of Geology & Mining, State Pollution Control Boards, and State Environmental Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA) of both states to examine the matter within their respective jurisdictions, conduct field verifications wherever necessary, and take strict action against any violations of environmental norms. Concurrently, the Principal Chief Conservators of Forests (PCCF) of both Assam and Nagaland have been requested to take necessary measures for catchment area management and protection. Furthermore, as matters pertaining to flood management, restoration of river systems, and abatement of river pollution fall under the mandate of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, the issues have also been forwarded to the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation for appropriate action. The department will coordinate with the authorities of both states as required. The Central Government has instructed all these agencies and departments to submit their Action Taken Reports directly to MP Gaurav Gogoi, with a copy marked to the Union Ministry of Environment. These assessments and reports are expected to play a crucial role in restoring the natural health of the Dikhow River and protecting communities dependent on it from future flood catastrophes.