STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the government’s focus is on conserving the water of the Brahmaputra for its use in the development of the state, and this should be a topic for research.
He said, “The state needs engineers and bureaucrats who think for the next 50 years. We don’t need engineers who follow the stereotype of engineering”.
Handing over appointment letters ceremonially to 62 assistant engineers in the Water Resources Department today, the Chief Minister said, “There were debates as to whether the government should construct embankments or not to control floods in the state. Despite all such odds, the State Government went ahead with the construction of embankments in the state from 1960 onward. There was also a debate on ‘if the Brahmaputra is a boon or bane for Assam’. When farmers need water for their paddy fields, the water level of the Brahmaputra falls drastically, and we don’t need water; the mighty river remains full to the brim. Now, our engineers need to think out-of-the box without banking only on embankment construction and their repair”.
Speaking on the occasion, Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika said, “Assam has embankments of around 5,500 km length constructed between 1960 and 1970. On average, 25 to 30 embankments need repair annually. And hence, the department has its focus on the repair of embankments throughout the year. A fund crunch was the major problem in the department until a few years ago. However, lack of funds is not a problem now. In the past two years, on average, we got Rs 1,500-1,700 crore annually”.
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