Assam govt. to send an engineer team to Bangladesh for training about dredging of Brahmaputra

During a meeting to discuss about dredging of Brahmaputra and Barak river with senior officials of the state Water Resources department in his office chamber at Assam legislative assembly, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday directed the department to send the team to Bangladesh to enhance their knowledge about dredging so that the entire exercise could be executed without any error and mechanical lapses.

Sonowal 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, Sonowal pitched the idea for involvement of forest officials at every sub-division of the Water Resources Department and preparation of action plan taking people of the state into confidence.

Further directing the Water Resources Department to conduct a survey to ascertain the number of people protected from flood through embankments, the Assam CM asked the departmental engineers to expeditiously carry out repair and strengthening of embankments and also to carry out a detail study about their condition once monsoon season is over.

He also instructed for a survey on the highest water level of both the rivers during monsoon and their bearing capacity.

Sonowal advised the department to introduce a new dress code for engineers at work sites.          

Water Resources Minister Keshav Mahanta, Media Adviser to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami, Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia and senior officials of Water Resources Department were present in the meeting.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)