5,000 sq km water bodies identified to divert floodwater in Assam

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Northeast Space Application Centre (NESAC) have identified over 5,000 sq km of wetlands that could be used to divert Brahmaputra water during monsoon to control flood in Assam.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed this in a special meeting of NESAC Society at Shillong, which was chaired by Union Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday.

Making Assam flood-free in the next five years was one of the promises made by BJP before the Assembly elections held in March-April. BJP and its allies retained power and formed its government for the second consecutive term.

During election campaign rallies, Shah had assured that big water bodies would be identified through satellite mapping for diversion of floodwater, which wreak havoc in Assam almost every year. The water bodies would be used for irrigation and tourism purposes, Shah promised.

Experts, however, were sceptical saying it was too ambitious.

Chief Minister Sarma proposed to take up a pilot project for flood control involving the Central Water Commission under Jal Shakti Ministry and Water Resources department of the state. "The Chief Minister also suggested monitoring of forests at the inter-state border by using space technology," said a statement.

Issues related to the use of space technology for flood control, wetland management, preservation of forest cover in the Northeast were some of the issues discussed in the meeting.

Shah, who later inaugurated an inter-state bus terminus in Shillong said capitals of all states of the Northeast would be connected by rail and airways by 2024. Meghalaya capital Shilling, Manipur capital Imphal, Nagaland capital Kohima, Mizoram capital Aizawl and Sikkim capital Gangtok still do not have train connectivity.

Shah held a closed-door meeting with Chief Ministers of all Northeastern states at Shillong in the evening. Issues related to border disputes, insurgency, drugs smuggling, human trafficking and some others were discussed in detail in the meeting, sources said.