GUWAHATI: The dredging of the River Brahmaputra in Assam from Sadiya to Dhubri will begin from September this year as per the decision taken in a high-level meeting held between Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior officials of various Union ministries in New Delhi on Thursday.
The meeting was held as a sequel to the announcement of Prime Minister’s Rs. 2000 crore package for Assam and the North East for relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and flood mitigation measures in the flood affected North Eastern States, including Rs 400 crore for improving water carrying capacity of the Brahmaputra through dredging in its entire stretch from Sadiya to Dhubri.
Sonowal set the ball rolling in the meeting saying that the proposed dredging besides enhancing the water holding capacity of the Brahmaputra would help in increasing navigation besides revamping the communication on the proposed Brahmaputra Express Highway.
In course of the meeting it has been decided to start the dredging of the Brahmaputra from Sadiya from September onwards and as many as five dredgers will be pressed into service for the mega project. The meeting took up the construction of Brahmaputra Expressway threadbare and decided to rope in experts and manpower of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to build the expressway with the sand and silt dug out through dredging. The government of Assam will submit the detailed project report (DPR) for Brahmaputra Expressway soon.
Sonowal requested the Brahmaputra Board to set up a unit in Majuli and upscale its manpower to tackle flood in the island as well as in the State. The Director General of Brahmaputra Board informed that the Board had decided to start three major projects upstream to protect the river island Majuli from the fury of flood. He also informed that a Rs. 237 crore road cum embankment project would soon be started in the southern bank of Majuli which would act as a deterrent against flood induced damages in the river island.
Sonowal also asked NHIDCL to take up the repairing work of the National Highways in view of the deplorable road conditions. He said that repairing of the National Highways must be accorded topmost priority to make the flow of traffic smooth.
The meeting decided to hold a national level conference in Guwahati sometime in September to find out a comprehensive solution to flood and erosion problems in Assam in particular and the Northeast in general. In the conference international, national and local experts would assemble and participate in brainstorming sessions aimed at finding a comprehensive solution to flood and erosion.