Assam minister inspects Bhogdoi embankments, plans Rs 4,000 cr protection

Assam Water Resources Minister Sushanta Borgohain on Friday inspected the Bhogdoi River embankment in Jorhat and announced that excavation and strengthening work along the river basin would begin soon. Reconstruction of five embankment sections damaged by recent floods has been completed using geo-bag tubes following the chief minister's directive, he said.

Borgohain said the government now plans wider measures to strengthen the Bhogdoi basin from its origin near the Assam-Nagaland border to its confluence with the Brahmaputra. The work will deepen shallow portions and improve water flow without digging the river like a drain. The government is in touch with the World Bank for a second phase of embankment repair and reconstruction.

The minister estimated that the large-scale embankment reconstruction and strengthening programme could require around Rs 3,000-4,000 crore. Six embankments in Jorhat district and one in Sivasagar district were breached during the recent floods. The government also plans to secure the Dorika and Dikhow rivers and rebuild vulnerable embankments in those areas.