Assam citizens' forum pushes for scientific, holistic flood management strategy
GUWAHATI: A citizens' forum in Assam has called for a comprehensive, science-based approach to the state's recurring flood crisis, urging policymakers to look beyond temporary relief measures and embankment repairs to address the root causes in the entire river and ecological system.
The demand was raised on Friday (August 21, 2026) when members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) organised a 'demand day' seeking a national disaster tag for the annual deluge that claims scores of lives and displaces thousands every year. The party also demanded ₹20 lakh compensation for families of those killed in recent floods, ₹1 lakh as immediate assistance to each affected family, and up to ₹10 lakh for houses destroyed.
The Assam Nagorik Sammilan, a forum led by academician Hiren Gohain and former Director General of Police Harekrishna Deka, said the state's geographical position makes it inherently vulnerable to flooding from rivers that originate in the mountains of neighbouring hill states.
“It is therefore only natural that construction, mining and other large-scale activities in the upper reaches of these river systems will affect the volume and speed of water flowing into Assam. And that is precisely where we are witnessing serious changes,” the forum said, pointing to recent devastation in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts.
The forum also warned of a similar disaster if the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve is reduced to 1 km from the default 10 km. “Kaziranga's Eco-Sensitive Zone cannot be treated as an issue separate from the larger environmental crisis facing Assam. The conservation of forests, wetlands, and floodplains is closely connected to the state's ecological security and its ability to cope with floods,” it stated.
To address these interconnected issues, the forum announced plans for a convention bringing together environmentalists, forest experts, engineers, river specialists, geologists, historians, social scientists, activists and people from flood-affected areas. The goal is to examine the flood and environmental crisis from every possible perspective.
The proposed deliberations will cover the impact of climate change, changes in river systems, embankments, dams and other infrastructure, mining, deforestation, the state of wetlands and floodplains, and the larger development model being followed in the northeast region.
The forum's call comes amid growing concerns that short-term fixes are insufficient to tackle a problem of this scale. Experts have long noted that floods in Assam are not merely a natural phenomenon but are exacerbated by human activities in upstream areas and inadequate environmental safeguards.
The convention is expected to provide a platform for evidence-based recommendations that could influence state and national policies on flood management, ecological conservation and disaster response.
