GUWAHATI, June 17 - The State Government has decided to constitute an expert committee which will be sent to China to study the Yellow River (Huwang He) Management Strategies to replicate it in Assam for taming River Brahmaputra and use it as a deterrent for flood and erosion.
Chairing a high-level review meeting of the Water Resource Department Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, �If the Yellow River which was once considered as �sorrow of China� can be tamed, the Brahmaputra which is the lifeline of the people of Assam can also be used productively to serve the riparian rights of the people of the State�.
He further said that the �knowledge-driven� study in association with the World Bank would also prepare a roadmap for taming the Brahmaputra and its tributaries to control flood and erosion.
The study will encompass basin characteristics, river engineering, hydrology, channel morphology, floodplain evolution within its ambit and submit its report.
Emphasising on the need of a well-coordinated document for the rivers in Assam, the Chief Minister directed the department to do the needful for preparing a �River Atlas� and asked the department to use the expertise of the North Eastern Space Applications Centre for preparing it.
Considering the importance of rivers of Assam on its people, culture and economy, Sonowal exhorted on the need of transforming Assam Water Resources Management Institute into an Institute of Excellence which will undertake extensive studies towards rivers for their optimum gainful utilisation.
Sonowal also asked the department to work on an early flood warning system in line with the system put in place for Tsunami early warning system.
Sonowal also reviewed several ongoing schemes of the department particularly erosion protection works being undertaken in Majuli and other parts of the State and assured all help from his government for their early completion.
