Upper Assam floods were a man-made disaster, alleges Congress leader
Debabrata Saikia has filed a Public Interest Litigation in Gauhati High Court seeking justice and rehabilitation for those affected by the July deluge.
Senior Congress leader and former Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has termed the July deluge in Upper Assam a man-made catastrophe. Speaking to mediapersons at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati on Wednesday, Saikia alleged the floods were triggered by apathy, gross negligence, and rampant illegal riverbed mining.
According to The Shillong Times, Saikia announced the filing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Gauhati High Court to seek justice, uncover systemic corruption, and secure rehabilitation for the flood-hit population. He stated the High Court had directed state authorities to file an affidavit by November 3, but the government failed to furnish vital records regarding emergency relief measures.
Saikia claimed the chief minister initially used an unsubstantiated cloudburst narrative to protect favoured associates, noting that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued no such forecast. He argued that the state cannot use the 'Act of God' defence to evade accountability, invoking the Supreme Court’s 'Public Trust Doctrine' and the principle of 'Absolute Liability'.
The leader demanded an inquiry committee led by a retired High Court judge, including experts from IIT Guwahati, to determine the root causes of the deluge. He also called for the permanent halting of illegal mining in the Dikhow River and its tributaries, and the deployment of a specialised Task Force Battalion as previously mandated by the High Court.
Regarding relief, Saikia demanded compensation of at least Rs 10 lakh per affected family, similar to the Himachal Pradesh model. He alleged that the administration withheld beneficiary rosters because relief payments were credited to bank accounts of ruling BJP leaders' families in non-flooded areas, and that many genuine victims have not received promised interim assistance.
The Gauhati High Court has scheduled the next hearing for December 14.
