River dredging uncertain before monsoon in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: It is certain that river dredging will not take place in Assam before the monsoon season in April. This is despite the fact that the administrative approval to procure a river dredger was given way back in 2017.

However now, it is certain that the first river dredger in Assam will not be reaching the State before April 2021.

Dredging of rivers should be carried out before the monsoon season and the resultant annual floods. Such a machine is required for corrective dredging (removal of silt) of rivers and their tributaries in both the Brahmaputra and the Barak valleys, claimed sources in the Water Resources department.

The river dredger is being manufactured in the United States of America. Then it will be shipped to Mumbai where the dredger will be checked. After that, it will be sent to Assam only if the dredger is found to be okay during the checking process. Hence, the process is time consuming, added the sources.

Following global tendering in 2020, the Water Resources department shortlisted USA company, Ellicott Dredges, to supply the 'river dredger'.

The Revenue & Disaster Management department had approved Rs 18 crore for its procurement under the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) during fiscal 2017-18. The Finance department also released an advance amount of Rs 12 crore to the American company. This amount is now being kept in the safe custody of a government bank in Guwahati.

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