Guwahati, July 24 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday urged the Meghalaya government to regulate construction and development activities in the Jorabat belt along the Assam-Meghalaya border, warning that unchecked hill cutting and urban expansion in the area could aggravate flooding and landslide risks in Guwahati.
He particularly mentioned the large-scale tree-cutting and construction work on the hills around a private institution- the University of Science and Technology in Meghalaya (USTM) in Jorabat locality- that, as argued by the Chief Minister, is causing urban flooding in Guwahati.
Addressing reporters here, Sarma said the environmental concerns had already been examined by a Supreme Court-appointed committee, whose findings, according to him, highlighted the potential impact of large-scale development on the Assam capital.
“This matter has been examined by the Supreme Court-constituted committee, and they have given a very devastating report, stating that the huge construction work in Jorabat, particularly in USTM and the surrounding area, will pose a huge threat to Guwahati,” the Chief Minister said.
The campus of USTM is situated in Meghalaya, and the institution is also setting up a private medical college after the name of P. A. Sangma—father of current Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
Appealing to the Meghalaya government to take the issue into consideration, Sarma said development in the border region should be planned in a manner that does not adversely affect downstream areas in Assam. “I think the Meghalaya Government has to take sympathetic consideration regarding the impact on Assam. I’ll only appeal to the Meghalaya Government to see how development in and around Jorabat can be controlled,” he said.
The Chief Minister warned that Guwahati’s drainage infrastructure alone would not be able to cope with the increasing volume of runoff from the adjoining hills if large-scale construction continued without adequate environmental safeguards. “Otherwise, Guwahati will become an unmanageable city. It will be very difficult. We will not be able to keep Guwahati intact because the kind of water that comes down cannot be managed by any kind of drainage system,” Sarma said.
CM Sarma added that he has been in touch with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on the issue and noted that the matter remains pending before the Supreme Court. “I am talking to the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. The Supreme Court is seized of the matter. Any day, the matter will come up for hearing, and we will argue before the Supreme Court,” he said.
The remarks come against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute between the Assam government and the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), located near the inter-state border.
Over the past several months, Sarma has repeatedly alleged that large-scale hill cutting and construction activities in and around the private university have contributed to artificial flooding and severe waterlogging in Guwahati during the monsoon.
The Chief Minister has also levelled a series of allegations against the institution, including claims relating to environmental violations, irregularities in academic programmes and financial impropriety.
A Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which examined environmental issues in the area, reportedly found violations of forest-related regulations in parts of the project area and recommended the imposition of environmental compensation.
The matter is currently under judicial consideration. USTM has consistently denied all allegations made by the Assam government, maintaining that it operates in compliance with University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and other statutory regulations. The university has said it is prepared to cooperate with any lawful inquiry and has maintained that its academic and research activities adhere to prescribed standards.
–IANS
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