Assam cabinet clears bill to safeguard urban water bodies

The Assam cabinet has approved a groundbreaking bill aimed at preserving water bodies in urban areas. The Assam Urban Water Bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Bill, 2024, is set to be introduced in the state's legislative assembly.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared details of the cabinet decisions on social media, highlighting the bill's key provisions. These include measures for preservation, protection, rejuvenation, and maintenance of water bodies within notified Master Plan Areas of Assam.

The bill mandates scheduling and notification of all water bodies within Master Plan areas, complete with details of dag numbers and villages. This step is intended to facilitate easier demarcation and protection from encroachers.

Authorities will be empowered to develop action plans and formulate schemes for water body conservation. To enhance transparency, all information related to water bodies will be uploaded to a GIS portal.

The legislation will cover private water bodies of 2 acres or more, as well as community water bodies and those belonging to religious institutions. However, private water bodies smaller than 2 acres and those in reserved forests, wildlife sanctuaries, or national parks are exempt.

Under this bill, two levels of committees will be established - one at the district level and another at the state level. The district-level committee will conduct detailed surveys to identify and document all water bodies for inclusion in an official schedule.

A key provision of the new act prohibits any authority from allotting or initiating action to allot land identified as a water body without prior approval from the State Level Committee.

Activities such as debris dumping and construction on these lands will be strictly banned. To ensure compliance, the cabinet has introduced stringent penalties for violations.

Offenders may face up to three years imprisonment, fines of up to Rs 1,00,000, or both. Further, violators will be required to restore the water body to its original condition.