SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday expressed concern over the rising incidents of flash floods in the state resulting from higher precipitation and climate change. He also cautioned that the situation would turn worse in the years to come as predicted by scientists.
Emphasising on the seriousness of the matter, he pointed out that the plains belt in Garo Hills suffers the most due to the overflowing Brahmaputra river in Assam.
“It will get worse and there should be an adaptation and mitigation policy. We are working on war footing. We need the support of all the members of the House,” Sangma said in response to a poser by Congress legislator Azad Zaman during the question hour on Thursday.
Zaman said the Jinjiram, one of the major rivers in Garo Hills, is the source of a lot of hardships for the people as it breaches the embankment every year resulting in the low-lying areas getting flooded.
In response, Sangma said that he along with state water resources minister, Metbah Lyngdoh, had updated Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari on the situation.
Metbah said various flood protection schemes covering the Jinjiram river have been prepared and are awaiting sanctions.
Earlier, Zaman also wanted to know whether the government had any plans to construct canals for supplying water to paddy fields to which Metbah stated that the construction of canals would be carried out only if the area is found to be ‘technically feasible and economically viable’.
Referring to the term ‘economically viable’, Congress MLA Charles Pyngrope called for better infrastructure to farmers. “Create the infrastructure without looking into the economics,” Pyngrope said.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh asked Metbah if any plans had been put in place for Wahumkhrah water canal.
“It is there with the department and we will work something out,” Metbah said in his reply.
