New Delhi, Dec. 16: The Assam Development Report (ADR), jointly sponsored by the Planning Commission and the state government, has recommended a detailed study of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries for harnessing their economic, military and communication potential.
Such a study, said the report, should be accorded top priority as part of the ?government?s efforts to reach out to the region? and ?give it a sense of inclusion in the task of ending disparities?. It also suggests that the task should be entrusted to the department for Development of the North Eastern Region (DONER), the nodal Central agency co-ordinating between various ministries dealing with the eight states. Prepared by the Mumbai-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, the report spells out two reasons which necessitate an extensive study.
First, development of riverine communications can mark a turning point for sustainable development in the region. Besides, the waterway can be turned into a second line of defence and security for the region.
The Brahmaputra has a total length of 2,900 km, of which 720 km run through Assam and a shorter distance in Arunachal Pradesh. It covers some 110 million hectares in India or a third of the size of the country.
Long-term solutions to many problems associated with the river in the state have never been considered seriously. For instance, 400 million tonnes of silt are reportedly deposited in the region where the Brahmaputra is formed by the confluence of the Lohit, the Dibang and the Dihang in Arunachal Pradesh.
?This is a staggering figure and only a well-equipped, top-level scientific study can consider how the problem of silting can be tackled. In this effort, the government may need to consider associating international experts, specially from South East Asia and continental North and Latin America,? the report added. This immense deposition of silt is one of the prime factors for the devastating floods every year in the state. The river bed is estimated to have gone up by several metres.
Assam transport minister Anjan Dutta told The Telegraph, ?We have heard about the report and will go through it soon. Only then will we be able to come out with concrete proposals. But in any case, we have realised the change that can come about if the mighty river can be harnessed.?