From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: A public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a senior BJP leader of Assam, Prodyut Bora on the Assam flood situation was admitted by the Suprem Court of India. The court also issued notice to the Government.
The Writ Petition (Civil) No. 401 of 2012, in the Court of the Chief Justice Altmas Kabir, Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar and Justice J Chelameswar, drew attention to the case of recurrent floods in Assam and the large scale human displacement, apart from damage to livestock, crops and property.
This year the flood washed away 20 bridges and culverts, damaged 191 bridges in addition to washing away or damaging approaches to 575 bridges and 230 culverts. The Brahmaputra has breached 42 of its embankments, mostly in the districts of Tinsukia, Dhemaji and Sonitpur, besides Majuli island in Jorhat.
So far attempts to contain the river has not succeeded. A GIS-based study, using both satellite and terrestrial data, by the Dibrugarh University, has found that in the 84 years between 1912 and 1996, Assam lost 2358 sq kms to erosion by the Brahmaputra.
The case argued by Supreme Court advocate Shri Niroop Reddy, pointed out that floods have a vital bearing on the rights of the citizens to drinking water, health, sanitation all of which have been held to be integral part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India by the Apex Court. That apart, in the year 2010, the United Nations General Assembly has recognized the right to water as a Human Right.
Assam used to be a prosperous state in the past, both in absolute and relative terms. But it is poor now and the gap with the rest of India is widening.
While poverty has decreased nationally, it is on the rise in Assam. In 2004-05, Assam had 34.4% of its people below the poverty line, less than the national average of 37.2% for the whole of India.
By 2009-10, Assam increased its poor population to 37.9%, while India as a whole decreased its average to 29.8%. As an older Planning Commission report puts it, ‘The most striking fact of Assam’s economic development is that it is falling behind the rest of the country.
In 1950-51, per capita income in Assam was 4% above national average. In 1998-99 it was 45% below the national average at 1980-81 prices. What is even more alarming is that the gap is growing.
Between 1980 and 1990, per capita income at 1980-81 prices grew by 20 per cent in Assam compared with 40 per cent for all-India. Between 1980 and 1998, per capita income in Assam grew by 10 per cent compared with 39 per cent for all India.
Petitioner Prodyut Bora said,”I hope the Courts step in and deliver justice to the people of Assam. This is a 50-year-old problem that the political establishment has not managed to solve. Today, after so many years after independence, this is no more a water issue, but a human rights one,” he said.