GUWAHATI, Sept 11 - With a view to carry out dredging in the beds of the Brahmaputra and the Barak rivers in a scientific manner with adequate amount of planning, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today issued a slew of directions to the Water Resources Department (WRD), said an official press release here.
While taking part in a meeting to discuss the issue of dredging the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers with the WRD senior officials at his office chamber at the Assam Legislative Assembly campus, Chief Minister Sonowal directed the department to depute a team of mechanical engineers of the department for undergoing training in Bangladesh with the aim of enhancing their knowledge on dredging so that the entire exercise can be carried out smoothly without any hitch.
The Chief Minister also stressed on carrying out dredging in a sustainable manner and advocated developing highlands with the excavated sand to give an impetus to tourism in the State. Keeping this in mind, he broached the idea of involving forest officials at every WRD sub-division and preparation of action plan by taking people of the State into confidence.
Further, directing the WRD to conduct a survey for ascertaining the number of people protected from floods through embankments, the Chief Minister asked the engineers of the department to expeditiously carry out repair and strengthening of embankments and also to conduct a detailed study on their condition once the monsoon season is over.
He also called for a survey on the highest water level of both the rivers during the monsoon season and their water-bearing capacities. The Chief Minister advised the department to introduce a new dress code for engineers at the work sites.
WRD Minister Keshav Mahanta, Media Adviser to the Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami and Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia were present at the meeting, besides senior officials of the WRD, said the press release.
