Guwahati: The dredging work of River Jiyabharali at Bokagaon, Balipara in Sonitpur district, started on Tuesday. Each year, the river bed is getting shallow as huge quantity of silts is deposited.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurating the dredging work said that the loss in depth of river bed has resulted in decrease of water carrying capacity and flooding by Jiyabharali on both the banks.
“To mitigate this problem, Water Resource Department is carrying out dredging on 20 km stretch of the river which will de-silt and restore river depth,” he said.
Sarma added that the state government has been endeavouring for a flood free Assam and success of dredging in Jiyabharali on pilot basis would pave the way for more such initiatives on Kundil, Jiyadhal and Aai rivers as an effective flood control measure.
The CM also stated that Water Resource Department is taking steps to build 1000 kms of concrete embankments. Rs 1500 crore has been allotted to the department for flood management and World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded projects are also going on various rivers, he said.
At the programme the Sarma also handed over cheques of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the victims of recent truck accident on Kolia Bhomora Bridge over Brahmaputra River.
Sarma also inaugurated a 804.7 meter long railway overbridge at Rangapara in Sonitpur. The overbridge built by PWD (Roads) for a total amount of Rs 90.27 crore.
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