Former Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly and former Nazira MLA Debabrata Saikia has urged the Assam government to launch a *Special Integrated Dikhow River Basin Rehabilitation Project* under the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) and the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY), 2024, to support flood-affected families and strengthen long-term flood management in Upper Assam. In a detailed representation submitted to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Saikia said the recent floods had caused widespread destruction across Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and neighbouring districts, with Nazira Co-District among the worst affected. He said prolonged flooding had displaced thousands of families and severely damaged agriculture, fisheries, livestock, homes and public infrastructure. Referring to data from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), Saikia noted that nearly three lakh people in Sivasagar district were affected during different phases of the floods. He said hundreds of villages remained inundated, embankments were breached, roads and other public infrastructure were damaged, while large stretches of agricultural land were buried under thick layers of sand and silt, making cultivation difficult.
Saikia said the government’s focus should now shift from immediate relief to permanent rehabilitation, livelihood restoration, infrastructure rebuilding and ecological recovery of the Dikhow River basin. He described the river as an important source of livelihood in Upper Assam, supporting agriculture, fisheries, groundwater recharge and biodiversity. The former MLA also raised concerns about mining activities in the river basin. He said authorised extraction of sand, stone and other minor minerals had taken place for several years, while allegations of illegal and unscientific mining had also surfaced. Referring to proceedings before the Gauhati High Court in a public interest litigation on illegal mining in the Dikhow River, Saikia said the issue required stronger environmental oversight. While clarifying that he was not attributing the recent floods to any single factor, Saikia called for a scientific study to examine whether authorised mining, illegal extraction, changes in river morphology, sediment movement and other human activities may have contributed to the severity of the disaster. Citing the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, Saikia said the District Mineral Foundation was created to benefit communities affected by mining operations. He added that the revised PMKKKY Guidelines, 2024, allow funds to be used for housing, drinking water, healthcare, education, livelihood restoration, agriculture and environmental conservation in mining-affected areas.
He argued that people living along the Dikhow River have endured repeated floods, erosion and environmental degradation while contributing to the state’s mineral economy, and therefore have a legitimate claim to the utilisation of DMFT resources, irrespective of whether future scientific studies establish a direct link between mining and the recent floods. To ensure coordinated rehabilitation, Saikia proposed that the Special Integrated Dikhow River Basin Rehabilitation Project include construction of disaster-resilient houses, livelihood assistance for farmers, fishermen, artisans and self-help groups, scientific removal of sand and silt from farmland, restoration of irrigation systems, fisheries and wetlands, ecological restoration of riverbanks, rebuilding of damaged roads, schools, healthcare facilities and drinking water infrastructure, development of flood-resilient public infrastructure, continuous scientific monitoring of river behaviour, and stricter regulation of mining through GIS mapping, drone surveys and satellite technology. He also proposed setting up a high-level expert committee comprising representatives from the Mines and Minerals Department, Water Resources Department, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Assam State Disaster Management Authority, Directorate of Geology and Mining, IIT Guwahati, river scientists, environmental experts, agricultural scientists and representatives of affected communities. The committee, he said, should examine the cumulative impact of authorised and illegal mining, changes in river morphology, embankment vulnerability, sediment movement, ecological restoration, sustainable mining practices and long-term flood mitigation measures within a fixed timeframe. Among his recommendations, Saikia urged the government to convene the PMKKKY State Level Monitoring Committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, direct the Sivasagar District Mineral Foundation Trust to prepare a time-bound rehabilitation plan, prioritise the use of DMFT resources for flood recovery, undertake scientific removal of sand and silt from agricultural fields and public infrastructure, strengthen environmental safeguards for future mining operations, publish annual details of DMFT collections and expenditure, and carry out periodic environmental audits of mining-affected river systems across Assam. Saikia said the financial assistance announced by the state government for flood victims would provide immediate relief but would not be enough for families that had lost homes, farmland, livestock, fisheries, businesses and lifelong savings. He urged the government to fully utilise the statutory provisions of the MMDR Act and PMKKKY so that the District Mineral Foundation could serve as an effective instrument for humanitarian rehabilitation, environmental restoration and sustainable development in the flood-affected Dikhow River basin.