Arunachal: Rampant earth cutting blamed for Hollongi highway flood disaster

Massive earth cutting in hilly terrain has been identified as the root cause of flooding on the Hollongi highway in Arunachal Pradesh. Nabam Vivek, People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) MLA for the 14th Doimukh Assembly constituency, has labelled the incident a "man-made disaster" and called for immediate action to prevent future calamities.

Speaking to India Today NE, Nabam revealed that he had previously warned highway department engineers and the advisor to the Minister of Highway Department about the loosening soil in the area. Despite these warnings, yesterday's flood marked the second such incident on this stretch of highway.

"This flood landslide is purely a man-made disaster rather than a natural calamity caused by downpour," Vivek stated. He emphasised that rampant earth-cutting continues in the hilly terrains around the Hollongi Highway, despite warnings and appeals from the administration.

The MLA stressed the need for a permanent solution, suggesting that mass awareness campaigns should be conducted to educate citizens about proper mud disposal during developmental activities. Nabam mentioned that he has urged district administration officials to develop a plan and roadmap for regulating earth-cutting permissions.

"Citizens usually cut hills rampantly in winter, which causes havoc during monsoon," Vivek explained. He advocated for stricter oversight of earth-cutting activities to preserve the environment, maintain ecological balance, and protect human life from unexpected calamities such as floods and landslides.

In addition to addressing the flood situation, Nabam also commented on border issues between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh concerning his constituency. As a first-time MLA, he acknowledged that meetings with Assam counterparts are still pending. Vivek plans to tour his entire constituency in August to gather opinions from locals and seek a permanent resolution to all disputes in the 14th Doimukh constituency.