Himanta urges people to move NGT against 'unscientific hill cutting' in Meghalaya

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday urged the people of Guwahati who are suffering from water-logging problem to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in order to stop “unscientific hill cutting” in Meghalaya.

Sarma’s appeal to the people came a day after he said his government would move the NGT against a private university of Meghalaya, which, he claimed, demolished hills on its campus leading to large-scale water logging in Guwahati.

“Due to unscientific hill cutting in Jorabat area, water logging has increased in Guwahati. Those who criticise me should note that water logging is more severe in Dispur and adjoining areas, which are close to Jorabat, than other parts of the city,” Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of a programme here.

Sarma’s accusation was against University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), founded by Mahbubul Hoque who is also its chancellor.

The varsity is located in 9th Mile area in Ri-Bhoi district of neighbouring Meghalaya, near Jorabat on the inter-state border, which serves as an entry point to Guwahati.

“People suffering from the problem (of water logging) can approach the NGT and stop hill cutting to an extent in Meghalaya, which will solve the issue to a great deal,” the chief minister said.

Sarma said his government is also taking measures to address the issue and has formed an expert committee which will suggest measures to drain out accumulated water from roads through two routes.

The chief minister said it will take around three years to complete these projects as various issues such as land acquisition will be involved.

Sarma on Monday also asserted that former Congress chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who ruled the state between 2001 and 2016, had also identified the water from Jorabat area to be causing water logging in Guwahati.

Sarma had last week accused USTM of engaging in a "flood jihad" by demolishing hills on its campus to build new structures which, he claimed was “one of the reasons” for large-scale water logging in the largest city in Assam.

Responding to the allegation, USTM said in a statement on Saturday that its campus accounts for a “minuscule portion” of the water that flows to downstream areas such as Jorabat. It also claimed that constructions were carried out within its campus with requisite permission from the Meghalaya government.