Now Reading: Assam still waits for Northeast Water Resources Authority
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Assam still waits for Northeast Water Resources Authority
The Assam Tribune reports that the much-hyped North East Water Resources Authority, announced by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, remains unfulfilled with no word from the Central government on its status. Arunachal…
The Story in Brief
The Assam Tribune reports that the much-hyped North East Water Resources Authority, announced by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, remains unfulfilled with no word from the Central government on its status. Arunachal Pradesh initially opposed the authority, but no follow-up is known. Assam cannot tackle floods alone because most rivers originate in surrounding hill states. Recent devastation in three districts was caused by heavy rainfall in Nagaland, worsened by large-scale deforestation there. Deforestation in Meghalaya also floods the Jorabat area. Assam gets early warnings of heavy rainfall from Arunachal via the North East Space Application Centre, but without a regional authority, the problem persists.
The Indian Opinion
The usual narrative blames Assam's geography for floods, but the real culprit is the lack of a regional body to manage cross-border water flow. Hill states like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh clear forests without accountability, and Assam absorbs the silt. The Central government has gone quiet on the North East Water Resources Authority it promised. A simple test: will the Ministry of Jal Shakti at least convene a meeting of all Northeast states before the next monsoon? If not, Assam's suffering is merely convenient to ignore.
Source: assamtribune.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
