AASU slams government for failing to mitigate flood & erosion problem

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: The Lakhimpur district unit of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) came down heavily against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Government as well as the State Government, alleging that the both governments had comprehensively failed to mitigate the flood and erosion problem of Assam. In this regard, the organization severely criticized the Congress and Congress-led former governments too for not tackling this burning problem for years.

Notably, the major rivers of Lakhimpur like Subansiri, Ranganadi, Kakoi, Singara, Dikrong and Korha have continued massive erosion in different places across Lakhimpur district. Erosion caused by River Subansiri has created havoc in an area covering 5 km stretch under Telahi Development Block causing massive threat to the Bhimpora embankment. The erosion of the river has continued at Kuhimari, Mohaijan, Ghagar, Kolakhowa and Dhunaguri too. A delegation of the AASU members from Telahi-Kamalaboriya and North Lakhimpur regional units, led by district secretary Dhanmoni Dutta, visited the erosion-affected areas under Telahi Development Block on Monday.

After taking stock of the erosion situation, Dhanmoni Dutta on Tuesday said that the no government had the goodwill to mitigate the flood and erosion problem of State.

"The flood and erosion problem has caused massive devastation in the State for years impacting the economy. Under such circumstances, our organization has demanded the Union Government for tagging the burning problem as national problem. But no government has taken any step to do so. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who represented the State for 10 years, did nothing to resolve the problem. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also turned a deaf ear to the problem though he, while campaigning during election, promised to take effective steps to mitigate the flood and erosion problem of the State. We demand the Prime Minister to keep his poll promise and initiate steps to wipe out the problem permanently," Dhanmoni Dutta.

In this regard, he severely criticized Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Lakhimpur MLA Utpal Dutta, Lakhimpur MP Pradan Baruah and other MPs of the State and questioned if they had any intention to raise voice to have the flood and erosion problem of the State declared as national problem. He alleged that Pradan Baruah was doing politics for the sake of politics, not for the betterment of the flood and erosion victims.

In connection with the perennial flood problem in Naoboicha area, Dhanmoni Dutta criticized Naoboicha MLA Mamun Imdadul Haque Choudhury too. "The flood problem in Naoboicha area has remained the same year after year. The people living in the downstream of the River Singara under Naoboicha area have to suffer due to flood for six months every year. The river basin of Singara has been blocked with illegal encroachment. The MLA of the constituency takes up the issue only for political gain and does not take any step to evict the illegal encroachments. In this regard, his role is doubtful," Dhanmoni Dutta added. 

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