GUWAHATI: With a view to carry out dredging of Brahmaputra and Barak River in a scientific manner with adequate planning, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal issued slew of directions to the Water Resources Department on Monday.
While taking part in a meeting to discuss dredging of Brahmaputra and Barak River with senior officials of Water Resources Department in his office chamber at Assam Legislative Assembly, Sonowal directed the department to depute a team of mechanical engineers of the department for training at Bangladesh to enhance their knowledge about dredging so that the entire exercise could be executed without any error and mechanical lapses.
Sonowal also stressed on carrying out dredging in a sustainable manner and advocated developing highlands with the excavated sand to give an impetus to tourism in the state. Keeping this in mind, Sonowal pitched the idea for involvement of forest officials at every sub-division of the Water Resources Department and preparation of action plan taking people of the state into confidence.
Further directing the Water Resources Department to conduct a survey to ascertain the number of people protected from flood through embankments, the Chief Minister asked the departmental engineers to expeditiously carry out repair and strengthening of embankments and also to carry out a detail study about their condition once monsoon season is over. He also instructed for a survey on the highest water level of both the rivers during monsoon and their bearing capacity. Sonowal also advised the department to introduce a new dress code for engineers at work sites.