GUWAHATI, July 30 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today directed Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia to constitute Embankment Protection Committees to avert breaches in any embankment, said an official press release here.
At a high level meeting at his office conference room here on Friday evening, Sonowal said the Embankment Protection Committee to be constituted comprising engineers, experts, youth organisations, NGOs, clubs and socio-cultural organisations, will help to avert breaches in embankment with timely intervention.
Sonowal asked the Water Resources Department to go in for a thorough and in-depth inspection of the condition of around 1,200 embankments covering a stretch of 5,000 km so that strengthening and repairing of the old embankments could be carried out. The Chief Minister directed the officials of the Water Resources Department to submit project estimates within August next so that revetment of the embankments can start from September onwards. He instructed them to hold review meetings regularly near the site of the embankments.
The Chief Minister also directed the Water Resources Department to initiate steps to constitute Embankment Monitoring Committees at local level to keep a close eye on the embankments, particularly in susceptible and vulnerable areas to avert any disaster.
Sonowal also advocated for display of all relevant data of embankments for information of the general public.
The Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary to engage employees of other departments apart from the line departments to ensure relief operation round the clock.
Sonowal asked DGP Mukesh Sahay to ensure police patrolling round the clock in the flood affected areas so that anti-social elements cannot take advantage of the situation.
