Erosion likely to be recognised as National Calamity: Keshab Mahanta

Seemingly, the longstanding demand, to include land erosion as a national calamity, of the people of Assam might soon be accepted as Water Resource Minister Keshab Mahanta said that the demand is likely to be fulfilled by the 15th Finance Commission. 

Mahanta told the Assembly that the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had raised the matter with Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, NK Singh.

While funds for flood are allotted under the NDRF and SDRF, however, the problem of erosion is not included for receiving these funds. 

The Minister further said that the Sonowal has also urged the Prime Minister for Central assistance for construction of road-cum-embankments in the state, which will serve the dual purpose of strengthening of the embankments as well as improving road communication. 

Keshab Mahanta aslo stated that a detailed report on converting the embankments along the Brahmaputra river as road-cum-embankments was submitted to the Centre last year.