Gauhati High Court Seeks Replies on PIL Linking Mining to Assam Floods
· India · Hindustan Times, The Hindu
The Gauhati High Court has admitted a Public Interest Litigation alleging that unscientific coal mining in Nagaland and illegal sand and stone extraction in the Dikhow river aggravated recent floods in Assam’s Sivasagar. Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar issued notices to the Assam and Nagaland governments along with 15 other respondents, setting a deadline of November 3 for detailed replies. The petition was filed by former leader of the opposition and former Nazira MLA Debabrata Saikia, who challenges the administrative handling of the July disaster that claimed over 80 lives and displaced lakhs of people across Sivasagar and Charaideo districts. The plea argues that the disaster resulted from prolonged non-compliance with earlier judicial mandates, noting that the High Court had ordered the formation of a specialised Mines and Minerals Task Force Battalion in 2022 that was never established. The bench also questioned state agencies regarding the expenditure of ₹25 crore on embankment con
Why it matters
The case holds state authorities accountable for environmental degradation and flood mitigation failures that directly threaten lakhs of residents across Assam and Nagaland.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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