Assam Cong fires salvo at Govt over ‘wrong policies’ endangering ecological balance

The leader of the opposition in Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia on June 24^th, 2020, said that the wrong policies of the government have endangered the ecological balance of the state and caused the disaster at Baghjan in Tinsukia district.

In this regard, Saikia dashed off a letter to the speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly Hitendra Nath Goswami where he suggested that the House should seek input from experts on environment protection laws and mining/drilling activities to decide whether the existing laws should be amended or new legislation framed to protect the long-term interests of Assam. 

In the letter, he mentioned that the former Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Jairam Ramesh recently stated in no uncertain terms in a letter to the current incumbent, Prakash Javadekar that the influence of “politically powerful power producers” was very evident in the decision to open up coal mining in ‘no go’ ecologically fragile and sensitive zones.

Also read: Assam: In Dehing Patkai, coal mining is a way of life

Saikia further stated that a report submitted by officials of the Shillong-based Regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on November 25^th, 2019 indicts Coal India Limited (CIL) as well the Government of Assam for various acts of omission and commission pertaining to coal mining in the Dehing-Patkai Biosphere Reserve. Saikia also referred to letter written to Mr. Javadekar by Raman Sukumar, member of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), which states that during a meeting held on October 19^th, 2019, officials of CIL had provided wrong information regarding mining activity in the Dehing-Patkai area. In this context, Saikia said that any law or policy framed on the basis of false data can never be correct.

Besides, the Congress leader accused the state Government of flouting orders issued by the Supreme Court as well as the Gauhati High Court in connection with protection of the environment and wildlife in Assam. He asked the Speaker to advise members of the Act Implementation Committee of the Assam Legislative Assembly, who would undertake a 3-day visit to the Dehing-Patkai and Baghjan areas from June 28^th, 2020, to take a look at new construction activity near the National Highway bang in the middle of an elephant corridor in the Kaziranga National Park. This, he said, was in complete violation of the Supreme Court order dated 11-12-2018 which declared a 10-km ‘Eco-Sensitive Zone’ pertaining to the Kaziranga National Park as well as the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and also the apex court’s order dated 12-04-2019 which directed that no construction activity should be allowed even in private lands in the 9 identified animal corridors of the Kaziranga National Park. Similarly, Mr. Saikia said, that based on a PIL filed by him, the Gauhati High Court had passed an order on 21-10-2019 and asked the state Government to set up a ‘Mines and Minerals Task Force Battalion’ by the third week of January this year. However, the state Government has ignored that order as well, he said.

Saikia requested the Speaker to ensure that no one is allowed to use Assam’s resources like the fabled duck which laid golden eggs. He said that instead of trying to extract all eggs at one go, we must ensure that Assam’s natural resources are utilized in a balanced way with responsibility and restraint so that the state and its people can benefit for a long time. “Otherwise, Assam’s environment and residents will face more disasters in the time to come,” Saikia added.

Assam Police has already launched a Mental Health Helpline number.

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