Flood control remains top priority for Assam: Minister Pijush Hazarika

Assam Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika on Sunday, August 31 reiterated that controlling floods and erosion remains one of the top priorities of the state government. Addressing the recurring challenges faced by people during the monsoon season, he emphasized that the Water Resources Department is carrying out extensive work across several districts to safeguard lives, livelihoods, and farmlands.

Floods and erosion, triggered by the swelling of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, have been persistent problems in Assam, rendering thousands of families homeless and damaging vast stretches of agricultural land every year. To tackle this, the government has scaled up anti-erosion initiatives and is also exploring projects with international funding agencies.

Highlighting the ongoing efforts, Hazarika said that anti-erosion work is in progress at Naokata in Tinsukia district, a project expected to provide relief to villages grappling with severe riverbank erosion for years.

In another development, senior officials of the Water Resources Department, led by the Additional Chief Engineer, recently inspected the site of a proposed project under the Golaghat Division. This initiative, likely to receive support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), aims to introduce comprehensive protective measures on the left bank of the Brahmaputra to strengthen embankments and prevent large-scale erosion.

Hazarika further stressed that both the state and central governments are aligned in their efforts to mitigate flood damage through a multi-pronged approach. This includes short-term measures such as repairing breached embankments and long-term strategies like scientific river management and seeking international collaboration for technical expertise.

“Flood and erosion have been Assam’s biggest challenges for decades. We are determined to find lasting solutions with the help of modern technology and global partnerships,” the minister added.