The Flood Erosion Resistance Struggle Forum, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district units, has filed a PIL at Gauhati High Court in connection with integrated flood and river bank erosion management works at Rohmoria area for Rs 78.48 crores.
Talking to media persons at Tinsukia on Tuesday Binod Kedia, president of Flood Erosion Resistance Struggle Forum (FERSF) Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district said, “On September 7, we have filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) at Guwahati High court for immediate release of Rohmoria fund. Last year the 6th Investment Clearance committee had recommended the central government to clear the pending fund but still the fund is not released by the central government,” Kedia alleged.
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The petition has been filed against respondents – Union of India Secretary to Water Resource, Chairman Brahmaputra Board , Commissioner G.M.P , Director C.W.C., chief secretary to the government of Assam, principal secretary to government of Assam, executive engineer of Water Resource Dept, Dibrugarh.
“In 2015, the government sanctioned Rs 78.48 crore under the Integrated Flood and River Banks Erosion Management for laying geo bags on the 6.4-km stretch from Gorpora to Bogoritolia and Rs 14.15 crore for anti-erosion work at Dirak-Samoni in Tinsukia. We urged the central government to release the fund immediately,” Kedia added.
“In the petition, we have clearly mentioned to give rehabilitation and compensation to the families those who have lost everything in the erosion. Every year the erosion gobbled up huge chunks of land, so, we have appeal the government to take up anti-erosion measures in Brahmaputra and its tributaries to solve the problem,” Kedia said.
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He said that recently they come to know that the central government would not release any fund up to 2020 meant for flood and erosion work in Assam.
The entire Rohmoria region since 1997 has been battling with erosion which created havoc in the lives and property of the people.
The erosion has so far wiped out 38 revenue villages, eight schools, one PWD road and one sericulture farm.
Nearly, 2,000 families have been displaced and many bighas of land were gobbled up by mighty Brahmaputra. Subsequently, a number of anti-erosion measures were taken up in the area but with little success.