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Journalism of Courage
The Brahmaputra can’t be controlled so Assam might as well learn to live with floods — this was CM Tarun Gogoi’s appeal at a press conference last evening, hours before the river broke down an embankment on the outskirts of Guwahati, bringing the state capital under threat for the first time.
‘‘It is not an easy task to control floods caused by this mighty river and I think the people of Assam will have to learn to live with floods,’’ Gogoi said.
The statement came as the toll touched 29 and the rivers still in spate, forcing evacuation of at least 30 families from the city outskirts. Kamrup Deputy Commissioner Samir Kumar Sinha said the river had almost touched the roads and eroded a portion along the Fancy Bazar, the city’s business centre. A report from Dhubri said the entire district headquarters township was under water. Two boys were drowned in the Gangadhar last night at Golakganj in the district. Another woman drowned in the Sejusa at Tezpur.
The floods have claimed a rhino calf, six deer and two pythons at Kaziranga National Park, 90 per cent of which is under water. Park director N.K. Vasu said 48 camps in the park are submerged and the animals are crossing the NH-37 to move to uplands of Karbi Anglong.
Fresh breaches were reported from Solangi and Satrang in Sonitpur district, the latest among the 65 breaches in embankments and dykes so far. Most portions of the embankments were constructed in the 60s and experts say they have crossed their ‘‘life expectancy’’ and are hardly capable of holding back the water. Gogoi has said nearly 70 per cent of the embankments have lost their utility and would need a massive inflow of funds for reinforcement.
More than 37 flood control and protection projects, including the Neamati-Hatishal, Howlighat-Mukalmua and Hatsingimari schemes, remained incomplete when the monsoon began. About 50 more proposals submitted by the Assam government have been gathering dust with the Centre, state government officials said.
