GUWAHATI, June 26 - How genuine is the State Government�s claim that it has moved the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for assistance to solve the Guwahati flash flood problem? The information available with this newspaper suggests that there is no such move made by the State Government to secure a financial assistance from the ADB.
Since public memory is very short, it needs mention here that in July last year, the Guwahati Development Department (GDD) Minister had informed the media that the State Government had taken action to solve the city�s flash flood and had made �communications� with the ADB for funding it.
It was followed by another such assertion made by an Additional Chief Secretary. He claimed that the State Government had prepared a scheme for the purpose and moved the ADB with a request to fund it. The scheme, the Additional Chief Secretary claimed, included diversion of the flow of the Bahini river, etc.
However, knowledgeable circles here told this newspaper that it was found that a part of the amount meant for the first phase work of the ADB-funded Guwahati water supply scheme was lying unused and it was thought that this amount could be used for tackling Guwahati�s flash flood problem. The ADB local office here prepared a concept paper on the issue and on April 9, 2015, it invited some engineers to discuss the issue.
Meanwhile, to ascertain the veracity of the above claims made by the minister and the Additional Chief Secretary, some concerned people contacted the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) in March last to know whether there was any scheme prepared by it to divert the Bahini water received from Meghalaya and what was its present status.
The GMDA informed these people that there was no such scheme. Moreover, contrary to the expectations generated by the above assertions made by the minister and the senior bureaucrat, the ADB Manila office is learnt to have turned down a request of the State Government to allow it (government) take up a scheme for tackling the Guwahati flash flood problem.
The Manila office of the ADB reasoned that until and unless the first phase work of the ADB-funded Guwahati water supply scheme is completed, it is not willing to consider any other scheme for the city. The initial deadline for completion of the first phase work of the ADB-funded Guwahati water supply scheme was fixed to be March, 2017 and now it has been rescheduled to be March, 2021, sources said.
