Akhil Gogoi rejects cloudburst theory, blames Nagaland coal mining for Upper Assam floods

Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi on August 14 questioned the Assam government's claim that a cloudburst triggered the devastating floods in Upper Assam, citing observations from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and a recent research paper on the flood impacts in the state.

 

Addressing a press briefing on the catastrophic flooding that affected Charaideo, Sivasagar and Jorhat on July 19, Gogoi said the available scientific assessment did not support the argument that the disaster was caused by an exceptional rainfall event or cloudburst.

 

Gogoi referred to research by World Weather Attribution, involving researchers including IIT professors, which examined the impacts of flooding in Assam in the context of rainfall patterns, exposure and vulnerability. He claimed the study indicated that rainfall during the event was not exceptionally high compared with historical rainfall levels, yet severe flooding occurred.

 

He also referred to the IMD's definition of a cloudburst, saying the term is generally used for extremely intense rainfall of around 100 mm or more within one hour over a small geographical area. Gogoi argued that the flood event should therefore not simply be attributed to a cloudburst without establishing that such rainfall intensity had occurred.

 

Gogoi instead alleged that unregulated coal mining in Nagaland has contributed to the worsening of floods in Upper Assam by affecting the natural drainage and river systems. He called for a detailed investigation into the impact of mining activities across the inter-state region.

 

He also levelled allegations against several individuals whom he claimed were involved in coal-mining activities and questioned the alleged political and administrative protection enjoyed by such operations.

 

Gogoi further alleged that influential political figures and ministers were involved in or facilitating coal-mining activities in the region. He named Assam Water Resources Minister Susanta Borgohain and Sonari MLA Dharmeshwar Konwar, alleging their links to coal-mining operations in the Upper Tiru and Lower Tiru areas.

 

These allegations were made by Gogoi during the press briefing and could not be independently verified.

 

The Raijor Dal MLA's remarks come amid an ongoing debate over the causes of the devastating floods in Upper Assam, with questions being raised over extreme rainfall, climate change, land-use changes, river siltation, mining activities and the vulnerability of settlements in flood-prone areas.

 

Meanwhile, Methlaw Konyak, while responding to the debate, has reportedly disputed the claim that coal mining in Nagaland was responsible for the floods and offered to show Gogoi the mining areas to allow him to assess the situation himself.

 

Gogoi has maintained that a comprehensive scientific and independent investigation is necessary to establish the factors behind the July 19 disaster and determine whether human activities, including coal mining, contributed to the severity of the flooding.