Assam government recommends CBI probe into July floods
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said a formal request will be sent to the agency within 10 days.
The Assam government has recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the July floods that resulted in 106 deaths, according to The Assam Tribune. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Tuesday that the state will submit a formal request to the agency within the next 10 days.
The floods killed 106 people, including 17 children, and left 10 individuals missing. Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Charaideo were among the most severely affected districts, with Sivasagar recording the highest number of fatalities.
Sarma stated that the state government recommended the investigation to identify the fundamental causes of the floods in Charaideo and Sivasagar. This move reverses his previous position in August, when he described a CBI inquiry as meaningless and stated that experts would study the causes.
The disaster has led to debates regarding whether factors other than heavy rain contributed to the damage. The Congress party alleged that illegal mining and administrative inaction caused the devastation in three Upper Assam districts.
In September, the Centre rejected claims of man-made causes, attributing the disaster to continuous rainfall in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland. Opposition parties had also submitted a memorandum to Sarma demanding an inquiry into environmental violations.
The decision regarding whether the CBI will conduct the investigation now rests with the Centre.