GUWAHATI, Aug 23: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed at the Gauhati High Court calling for the appointment of a high power commission to suggest appropriate ways and measures to keep the Kopili dam, at Umrangshu in North Cachar district, intact so that it cannot create artificial floods any more. The PIL has also demanded punishment to the persons guilty for the havoc that the dam caused and for adequate compensation to the affected people after assessment by an independent committee and free relief. It has additionally demanded repair of all roads, bridges and culverts while asking for prompt afforestation of the areas that were made barren due to the Kopili hydropower project.
The PIL was filed by Bimala Prasad Talukdar of Hojai, in Nagaon district, on the basis of a news report in The Assam Tribune. The complainant said that incalculable damage has been caused by the artificial floods in Nagaon, Morigaon, and parts of Karbi Anglong and Kamrup districts in the state due to the ?callous and negligent? release of confined water in the dam belonging to the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO).
Talukdar in his petition said that the Kopili dam, as long as it was scientifically managed and looked after by the authorities, not only generated power but also helped in controlling floods. But in July this year, it said, there was a rush of water that led to heavy floods. He claimed that the loss was above Rs 10,000 crore. The floods were not natural, Talukdar argued, adding that there was no proper care of the dam though there were facilities for the same.