Flood-hit people in Sivasagar, Charaideo depend on Nagaland mining, must decide on closure: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on August 4 said a large section of people living in the flood-ravaged areas of Sivasagar and Charaideo depend on coal and stone mining activities in neighbouring Nagaland, and urged local residents to take a call on whether such operations should be shut down.

His remarks came amid growing demands from opposition parties and social organisations to stop alleged illegal coal and stone mining in the Assam-Nagaland border areas, which they have blamed for the recent devastating floods in Upper Assam.

After visiting several flood-hit areas, Sarma said Assam could not unilaterally stop mining activities taking place inside Nagaland and that the Centre would have to be involved in any inter-state discussion on the issue.

“All the people in those affected places depend on mining. So, I have requested the public to give a decision,” Sarma told reporters.

He said stones used in the affected areas were sourced from Nagaland, where mining activities were carried out, and added that the Assam government had no authority to intervene in the neighbouring state’s mining policy.

“Assam cannot go and stop mining in Nagaland. At the most, we can stop the stone crushers at Bihubor. Coal mining also does not take place in Assam; it happens in Nagaland. We cannot dictate what policy the Nagaland government will take,” the chief minister said.

Sarma said the Assam government would seek to raise the matter with Nagaland through the Centre.

“We will try to talk to Nagaland through the central government. No illegal mining takes place inside Assam. I will try to hold discussions myself once the flood situation improves,” he said.

The chief minister, however, declined to directly link mining activities to the scale of devastation caused by the floods, saying a scientific assessment was necessary to determine the exact cause.

“Rain occurs every year, but such a flood has never happened. Satellite data will have to be studied, and institutions like IIT will have to be roped in. We politicians cannot comment so easily,” Sarma said.

The opposition Congress, Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad, along with the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, have alleged that the devastating floods in Upper Assam were “man-made” and resulted from an alleged nexus involving coal and stone mafias and influential political leaders in Assam and Nagaland.

Opposition leaders and social groups have claimed that illegal open-cast mining in the hilly areas along the Assam-Nagaland border created large pits and artificial reservoirs. They alleged that during heavy rainfall, water accumulated in these mining pits and surged downstream, triggering flash floods in Assam’s low-lying areas.

The latest wave of floods caused widespread devastation in Sivasagar and Charaideo, particularly in areas located along the Assam-Nagaland border. The death toll in the flood-hit areas rose to 89, while more than 1.22 lakh people continued to remain affected despite water levels receding from several parts of the state.

Meanwhile, Sarma visited a flood relief camp set up at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology campus in Sivasagar and interacted with families displaced by the floods.

“Assam will overcome every obstacle to rebuild people’s lives and support them in starting over, leaving behind the scars of the floods. We are taking feedback from every affected family to see whether they have received relief and assistance,” the chief minister said.

He announced that government teams would begin visiting affected households from August 9 to conduct a detailed ground assessment of the damage. Compensation would be disbursed after the completion of the survey, he added.

“I want to assure every flood-affected family in Assam that in this difficult time, the government stands with them at every step. From rehabilitation to restoring normalcy, every possible assistance will be provided,” Sarma said.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, Sarma directed the district administration to ensure adequate food, safe drinking water, healthcare services and essential facilities for children, elderly persons and women staying in relief camps.

During his visit, the chief minister handed over cheques of Rs 5 lakh each as additional one-time financial assistance to the next of kin of 10 people who died in the floods.

The families had already received Rs 4 lakh each under the State Disaster Response Fund, while the additional assistance was being provided from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, taking the total ex gratia support to Rs 9 lakh per deceased person.

Sarma also announced that Union Health Minister J P Nadda would visit Upper Assam on Wednesday to assess the flood situation and interact with affected residents.

The chief minister visited several flood-hit areas, including Rajabari, Dihirgaon, Dhai Ali-Darikhat, Kakpathar-Kukurpuhia and Banmukh, where he interacted with residents and reviewed the damage.

Travelling by a rubber boat, Sarma also visited the marooned areas of Panbecha, Hatimuria, Betena, Dhupaboria, Tatipathar and Luruki to conduct an on-the-spot assessment and take stock of the difficulties faced by flood-affected communities.