Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti alleges illegal mining nexus behind Upper Assam floods, seeks CBI probe

Peasants' organisation Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) on Monday, August 3, alleged that the recent floods in Upper Assam were "man-made" and blamed an alleged nexus between illegal coal and stone mafias and influential political leaders for the devastation. The organisation also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the issue.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, KMSS general secretary Bidyut Saikia said the latest wave of floods should not be attributed solely to cloudbursts or runoff from neighbouring states.

Saikia alleged that illegal open-cast mining in the bordering hill regions of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh has led to the creation of large pits and artificial reservoirs, which release accumulated rainwater during heavy downpours, triggering flash floods in Assam.

"There is a clear link between the coal syndicate and the floods. Around 40 to 60 illegal coal-laden trucks enter Assam daily from Nagaland, with illegal extortion of Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh per truck," Saikia alleged, citing a Crime Branch chargesheet that reportedly referred to a Rs 3,000-crore coal syndicate.

The organisation further claimed that coal and stone mafias have direct links with politicians in Assam and Nagaland and called for a CBI investigation into the alleged nexus.

"Illegal mining must stop to protect the region from such man-made floods. The Chief Minister must act immediately; otherwise, such devastation will recur," Saikia said.

The KMSS also criticised the financial assistance provided by the Centre for flood relief, alleging that Assam received a lower allocation despite suffering extensive damage.

The organisation claimed that while Assam was allocated Rs 379 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), states such as Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra received Rs 500 crore each despite facing comparatively lesser flood impact.

Among its demands, KMSS sought compensation of Rs 8,000 per bigha for crop losses, a complete waiver of farm loans, and 300 units of free electricity per month for flood-affected families for the next year. It also demanded that the installation of smart electricity meters be halted immediately.

Saikia warned that the organisation would launch a statewide agitation if the government failed to address its demands relating to illegal mining, flood relief and farm loan waivers.

The Assam government, meanwhile, on Monday released the first tranche of interim flood relief to over 75,000 of the worst-affected households across four districts as rehabilitation efforts continue.