Common River Management
Assam CM wants neighbours' role
Chief Minister (CM) of Assam Tarun Gogoi said China, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh should be included in the proposed North East Water Resources Authority (Newra).
He said this while speaking at a press conference in Guwahati yesterday.
During his visit to Assam in 2004, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh proposed for forming an agency to manage water resources in the region.
However, the plan has not been executed yet as Arunachal Pradesh has been opposing it. As an autonomous body, the proposed authority is supposed to have the power to issue environmental and other clearances to projects in the region.
“We need to set up the Newra as a long-term strategy suggested by experts to mitigate the impact of floods. I would again request Arunachal Pradesh to rethink its stand,” Gogoi said.
“We should widen the parameter of the authority by including neighbouring countries,” he added. China, Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh are linked to the region's river system in various ways.
Due to erosion, Assam has so far lost more than 4.5 lakh hectares of land.
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