Assam flood: Gauhati HC admits PIL filed by Congress leader Debabrata Saikia

Guwahati, Aug 26 (AHN) The Gauhati High Court has admitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Assam's former Leader of Opposition (LoP) and ex-Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia, seeking judicial scrutiny into the factors behind the recent devastating floods.

Saikia said on Wednesday that the court has directed the Assam and Nagaland governments, along with other concerned authorities, to submit detailed counter-affidavits by November 3.

During the hearing, the Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar said that the issues raised in the petition appeared genuine.

The court also noted Saikia's longstanding communication with the Chief Justice Kumar and government authorities over concerns relating to alleged illegal mining and the Dikhow river.

The PIL has raised several issues, including alleged illegal sand and stone mining in the Dikhow riverbed, activities in catchment areas of Nagaland and the possible impact of water releases from upstream dams.

Saikia has claimed that the July floods, which reportedly killed more than 80 people and affected lakhs across Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts, were aggravated by administrative inaction despite earlier warnings and judicial directions.

The petitioner referred to two earlier PILs, filed in 2018 and 2019, concerning alleged illegal and unscientific mining in the Dikhow riverbed, particularly along the Assam-Nagaland border.

According to the former LoP, the High Court issued directions in 2019 and reiterated them in 2022, including measures to curb illegal mining and the formation of a dedicated Mines and Minerals Task Force Battalion.

He has alleged that the directions were not implemented effectively and mining continued.

Saikia also cited a Water Resources Department report dated January 12, 2022, which, he claimed, warned that continued excavation could alter the river's course and create serious consequences.

The PIL has further raised concerns over alleged open-cast coal mining in Nagaland's Mon, Mokokchung and Wokha districts and the possible effect of water releases from the Doyang Hydro Electric Project on downstream areas of Assam.

The court also sought information on preventive measures undertaken by authorities, referring during the hearing to a media report about Rs 25 crore being spent on embankment construction.

Saikia has sought a permanent halt to illegal riverbed mining, implementation of earlier court directions, a high-powered monitoring committee led by a retired judge, and a scientific assessment of the role of mining and dam releases in the floods.

The matter will next come up after the affidavits are filed on November 3.