GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Wednesday, announced that, it would wage a vigorous campaign against encroachments at the natural water body to protect Guwahati from the onslaught of artificial floods, which are currently being carried out by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) at Silsako Beel, a protected wetland in the city.
A significant reservoir for storm-water runoff from the city is Silsako Beel.
In 2008, the state government recognised Silsako as a protected waterbody, outlawing settlement and construction inside the 1,800 bigha designated area.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while interacting with the reporters, mentioned that encroachments—building structures or forming human settlements—in the protected region would have occurred between 2009 and 2015 based on satellite imagery.
The satellite photos demonstrate that the marsh area was free of such encroachments before 2009.
“In order to move all institutions, including the Hotel Ginger, the OKD Institute of Social Change, the tennis court (at Chachal), and the Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmilani office, out of Silsako, I have given the deputy commissioner, Kamrup (Metro), instructions to do so right away”, stated CM.
The chief minister added that the eviction push would continue unyieldingly in an effort to remove all habitations and structures from the wetland.
Additionally, he stated that the 300 to 400 families who will be removed from the wetland region would receive an economic package from the state government.
On Monday, the GMDA began the eviction campaign at Silsako Beel, protecting the area with over 15 excavators and 3,000 armed troops.
Nevertheless, after completing an aerial inspection of Deepor Beel, another protected wetland, state housing and urban affairs minister Ashok Singhal told reporters that, an eviction drive would also be conducted there with the same goal of making Guwahati flood-free.
"We have asked the revenue department and other related departments to take action to cleanse the city of all encroachments," Singhal added.
The minister stated that efforts are being made to scientifically prevent floods and to build a silt track project in response to the water streaming into the city from the hills of neighbouring Meghalaya.
The housing and urban affairs minister visited the desilting work being done in the city's Rukminigaon and Dwaraka Nagar neighbourhoods on Wednesday as part of the "Mission Flood Free Guwahati" initiative.
“Our agency has increased activities to clear all main and small storm drains and canals in our city as monsoon season draws near. The removal of silt and trash from storm drains clears obstructions and restores the depth and capacity of the pipes. In turn, this permits rainwater to flow freely, considerably reducing flooding”, as Singhal subsequently tweeted.
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