GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court on Wednesday, August 26, ordered the governments of Assam and Nagaland, along with all concerned authorities, to file detailed affidavits in response to a PIL filed by senior Congress leader and former Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia. The affidavits have been directed to be filed by November 3.
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The PIL alleges that the devastating floods that affected Upper Assam in July 2026 were not merely a natural calamity but were the result of prolonged administrative inaction and failure to prevent illegal and unscientific riverbed mining in the Dikhow River and its tributaries.
According to the petition, the floods claimed more than 80 lives, displaced lakhs of people and severely affected Sivasagar, particularly Nazira circle, as well as Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat.
Saikia has alleged that earlier directions of the Gauhati High Court to investigate and stop illegal mining were not effectively implemented. The petition also points to unregulated upstream activities, including coal mining in Nagaland and releases from the Doyang Hydro Electric Project, as factors requiring investigation.
The PIL states that an official field report dated January 12, 2022 had warned about continued illegal excavation, while mechanised mining allegedly continued across the Assam-Nagaland border.
Saikia has sought a complete halt to illegal riverbed mining, implementation of earlier court directions, a scientific assessment of the role of mining and dam releases, environmental compensation and a monitoring mechanism for the Dikhow river basin.