Doomdooma: Former ULFA leader Jiten Dutta has warned that Margherita, Digboi and Ledo in Assam’s Tinsukia district could face flood devastation similar to that witnessed in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat if illegal open-cast coal mining in the region continues unchecked.
Addressing the executive meeting of the All Assam Ex-ULFA Coordinators’ Association at Joymoti Auditorium in Khowang Chariali, Dibrugarh, on Sunday, Dutta alleged that extensive hill cutting for coal extraction had weakened the region’s ecology and increased the risk of floods.
“The destruction of hills in the name of coal extraction has made such disasters inevitable. A handful of people have become rich by cutting down the hills, but thousands of ordinary families have been pushed into misery. Nature never forgives. If this continues, Margherita, Digboi and Ledo will one day face the same horrifying situation that Sivasagar and Charaideo are experiencing today,” he said.
Dutta said he had earlier raised similar concerns on social media, alleging that hills stretching from Margherita to Jagun had been extensively damaged by illegal open-cast coal mining.
He claimed that even moderate rainfall now carries coal and boulders into rivers and warned that a cloudburst-like event could trigger severe flooding in the foothill areas of Margherita.
Urging local residents to oppose illegal mining, Dutta said the region’s long-term environmental security should not be compromised for short-term economic gains.
“Sivasagar and Charaideo have effectively been pushed back by two decades because of this disaster. Families have lost homes painstakingly built over years, while only a few individuals profited from coal mining. This is the time for people to unite and launch a powerful mass movement against illegal mining in the interest of public safety,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing debate over the environmental impact of coal mining in Assam’s eastern hill districts and the wider Northeast following the recent floods that caused widespread damage across Upper Assam.
No official agency has directly linked the recent floods to mining activities. However, Dutta maintained that unchecked excavation has severely weakened the region’s ecological balance and said preventive action should not be delayed.