OUR CORRESPONDENT
MANGALDAI: Much to the embarrassment of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, flood-affected villagers of Dahi area on Thursday demanded the Chief Minister to demolish the Flow Irrigation Scheme at Borkumarpara near Janaramchowka on River Saktola which has been considered as the root cause of the unprecedented flood havoc in the area.
The aggrieved villagers and the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) unit of the locality on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding demolition of the irrigation scheme which was allegedly constructed without any scientific manner or its reconstruction in a scientific way.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, accompanied by ministers Keshab Mahanta and Bhabesh Kalita, on Thursday afternoon arrived at Mangaldai by road with a convoy of 33 cars and interacted with the inmates of the flood relief camp at Maharishi Vidya Mandir. He also visited the breached portion of the embankment of River Saktola at village Kabikara (Keotchuba) and interacted with the flood-affected villagers and directed the Water Resource Department and the district administration for prompt repair of the breached portion of the embankment. Both the legislators Guru Jyoti Das and Binanda Kumar Saikia, Parliamentarian Dilip Saikia, Deputy Commissioner Dilip Kumar Borah and Superintendent of Police Amrit Bhuyan also accompanied the visiting Chief Minister.
Later, the Chief Minister held a meeting with the officials of the district administration and other officials to take stock of the situation arising out of flood and COVID-19 in the district. The Chief Minister also appreciated the initiative and arrangements of the district administration to tackle both flood and COVID-19 in the district.