26 river embankments breached in Assam flood
The current flood has claimed 73 lives in the state so far and affected over 33.45 lakh people.
Assam Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta on Monday informed that, the department has already repaired five embankments, which were breached in the first wave of the devastating flood.
Keshab Mahanta further said that, he had already ordered two inquiries into the breach of a particular embankment at Hatimurah in Kaliabor assembly constituency under middle Assam's Nagaon district.
"I have already ordered two inquiries into the breach and also wrote to the Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, requesting him to initiate another high level probe. The breach occurred under mysterious circumstances. I think, it is a conspiracy behind the breach. No one being spared if he or they are found involvement into it. If any evidence against me is found, then i will resign," Keshab Mahanta said.
Earlier, Assam Congress unit president Ripun Bora and farmer leader Akhil Gogoi alleged that, the Assam minister had provided a major contract for repairing the Hatimurah embankment to his brother owned farm and an associate person.
The Assam minister has refuted all allegations made against him and said that, it is a baseless allegation.
"The repairing work of the 3.6 km long embankment cost of Rs 15 lakh and Rs 7.5 lakh worth work contract has been awarded to a farm named M/S Madhab Enterprise. The Hatimurah embankment is one of the strong embankment in the state and it was constructed in 1973. It was found alright and strong enough by the inspection team of state Water Resources department on August 12 last, but is was breached on the same night," Keshab Mahanta said.
The minister also said that, there are 70 vulnerable points in the state and two flood warning system control rooms will be set up in the state.
"Maximum embankments of the state constructed 3-4 decades ago have expired lifespan. Now we are going to construct these lifespan expired embankments cum road. For this, the Centre has given green signal. The state government will construct an embankment cum road as a pilot project soon," the Assam minister said.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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