Centre asks Assam, Nagaland to probe damage in Dikhow river catchment

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed authorities in Assam and Nagaland to look into alleged ecological damage in the upper catchment of the Dikhow river and to act against anyone found violating environmental rules.

The development came to light through a reply from Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, dated October 21, to Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi, details of which were shared by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.

What the ministry has ordered

According to the minister's reply, directions were issued on September 30 to several agencies in both states:

• the directorates of geology and mining
• the state pollution control boards
• the state environmental impact assessment authorities

Each has been asked to examine the complaints within its own jurisdiction, carry out field verification where needed, and take strict action against violations.

The principal chief conservators of forests of Assam and Nagaland have been asked to take steps for managing and protecting the river's catchment. Questions of flood control, river restoration and pollution have been referred to the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Jal Shakti ministry, which is to coordinate with the two state governments.

The agencies have been told to send their action-taken reports directly to Gogoi, with copies to the environment ministry.

Why the Dikhow matters

The Dikhow rises in the Naga hills and flows through Upper Assam before joining the Brahmaputra. It passes close to Sivasagar town and the Nazira area, making it one of the main rivers of the Sivasagar region.

Gogoi, who is deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and president of the state Congress, first wrote to Yadav on August 13 and later met him on the issue. He alleged that illegal coal mining, unchecked removal of sand, gravel and boulders from the riverbed, dumping of mining waste, deforestation, stone quarrying and hill-cutting along the Assam-Nagaland border had upset the river's ecology.

In his letter, he argued that while extreme rain set off this year's floods, damage in the upper catchment made the situation downstream far worse.

The July floods

Heavy rain between July 18 and 22 flooded large parts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts. The Congress statement put the number of people affected across Assam at more than seven lakh, with over 1.1 lakh hectares of farmland under water and widespread damage to homes, livestock and roads.

Gogoi has asked for a joint scientific study of the entire Dikhow basin, better monitoring, ecological restoration and closer cooperation between Assam and Nagaland to cut future flood risk.

What the minister said on mining rules

In his reply, Yadav pointed out that mining projects covered by environmental regulations need prior environmental clearance, with an expert appraisal committee examining proposals and suggesting safeguards. Mining that falls outside those provisions is regulated through consents issued by the state pollution control boards, he said.

Neither state government has yet made public any findings from the field verification.