Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma met on Monday evening on interstate issues
Guwahati: In a significant step towards resolving Guwahati’s worsening urban flooding crisis, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma met on Monday evening to discuss pressing inter-state concerns, with a key focus on the flood situation affecting the Assam capital.
The two leaders agreed to take a collaborative approach, entrusting the North-Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) with satellite mapping of the affected areas. Based on this data, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee will be consulted to recommend long-term, sustainable solutions.
One of the major concerns raised in the meeting was hill-cutting in Meghalaya, which Assam claims has worsened the flood situation in the Jorabat region on the outskirts of Guwahati. The Supreme Court has recently issued notices to both state governments regarding the environmental implications of hill-cutting in the area.
Speaking to the media, Chief Minister Sarma said, “The Government of Assam has made a detailed presentation showing how heavy water flow from Meghalaya is impacting us. We are committed to resolving this issue in a way that also protects Meghalaya’s interests.”
Mr Sangma echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the dual challenge. “While Assam deals with floodwaters originating from Meghalaya, our state has its own economic needs and activities in the hills. The goal now is to find a mutually beneficial solution that reduces flooding in Guwahati,” he said.
As part of the plan, satellite imagery will help identify problem zones and topographical changes. The expertise of IIT Roorkee will then be used to formulate technically sound flood mitigation measures.
Meanwhile, the flood crisis continues to grip Assam. According to official figures, 11 people have lost their lives in floods and landslides so far, with over 5.35 lakh people across 20 districts affected.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took stock of the situation during a phone call with CM Sarma on Tuesday. The Prime Minister expressed concern and assured full support from the central government to tackle the crisis. “A short while ago, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji called me to enquire about the current flood situation in Assam,” Mr Sarma posted on social media platform X.
As the states push forward with scientific and cooperative measures, the hope is to ease the annual devastation caused by floods in Assam—particularly in Guwahati, which continues to reel from waterlogging and infrastructure strain during the monsoon.
