Now Reading: Gauhati HC admits PIL alleging state negligence in Assam floods
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Gauhati HC admits PIL alleging state negligence in Assam floods
The Gauhati High Court on Wednesday admitted a public interest litigation filed by senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, accusing the Assam government of negligence that led to devastating floods in Upper Assam…
The Gauhati High Court on Wednesday admitted a public interest litigation filed by senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, accusing the Assam government of negligence that led to devastating floods in Upper Assam districts in July. Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar heard the petition and directed all parties to file their replies by November 3.
The floods in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat claimed 105 lives and displaced lakhs of people. Saikia alleged the floods were a man-made disaster, not a natural calamity. He said the government ignored court orders from 2019 and 2022 to stop illegal mining in the Dikhow riverbed and to form a Task Force Battalion.
The petition seeks a permanent halt to illegal riverbed mining, a high-powered monitoring committee, full compensation for victims, and a coordinated protocol for upstream dam releases. Saikia had filed two earlier PILs on the issue.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The core claim in the PIL is that illegal riverbed mining, allowed despite court orders, changed the Dikhow river's course and turned seasonal floods into a disaster. The Assam government must now explain in court why it did not implement the 2019 and 2022 directives. The real question is whether the high court will enforce its earlier orders with a monitoring committee or impose penalties. The next hearing on November 3 will show if the state files a credible response or seeks more time.
Source: newindianexpress.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
