In view of the deluge in Lakhimpur district triggered by the sudden release of excess water by NEEPCO from its Ranganadi dam during previous years, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal strongly warned the NEEPCO authorities not to repeat the mistake this year, a statement issued from CMO said.
Reviewing the flood situation in Lakhimpur district on Thursday at Lakhimpur DC Office conference hall, Sonowal said that because of the sudden release of water by NEEPCO without any warning people in a large portion of Lakhimpur district had to face tremendous difficulty caused by flood in the last few years and he also highlighted the lack of planning in NEEPCO’s part in making a dam incapable of holding much water which results in inundation of Lakhimpur district till October-November.
Directing the NEEPCO authorities to build a reservoir for holding water, the chief minister urged the organisation to adopt advanced engineering technology and knowhow and he warned the organisation to stay prepared for paying for the losses of the people affected by flood caused by Ranganadi dam’s water in the coming days.
Issuing direction to the Lakhimpur district administration for concretising the raised platforms erected for providing shelter to the flood victims, Sonowal instructed for making the concrete platforms with multipurpose functionality and conducting survey of the land required for building the platforms.
Instructing APDCL to ensure zero casualties due to electrocution during the floods, the chief minister directed APDCL to inspect all power transmission lines to prevent mishaps.
He also directed the Water Resource Department to conduct surveys on the rivers during the winters for preparing technically correct DPRs to manage the floods effectively.
He also highlighted the need to start a course on river studies in the engineering colleges of the state for learning about the characteristics and history of the state’s rivers.
The chief minister directed the Food and Civil Supplies Department to ensure that there is no scarcity of the essential commodities in the district during the floods and instructed the Deputy Commissioner to hold separate meetings with the petrol-diesel and LPG dealers for keeping adequate stock.