NEEPCO washes off hand on Assam flood issue

Guwahati, Jun 19 (UNI) The North East Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) today washed off its hand on the Assam flood issue after being accused by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who demanded compensation from it.

A day after the Assam government blamed NEEPCO for the devastating floods in the state, the power company today asserted that flood was nature's fury and ruled out any compensation as demanded by the Chief Minister.

''The Ranganadi project in Arunachal Pradesh is a run-of-river scheme with a very small pontage. The natural flood occurring in the upstream of the project cannot be absorbed by the small reservoir.

Excess water from the upstream has to be released to control the water level. There is no option,'' NEEPCO CMD V K Abbey told newspersons at Shillong.

Mr Gogoi yesterday said excess water released from the Ranganadi dam without prior warning had triggered massive floods in Lakhimpur district. '' We will demand compensation from NEEPCO,'' Gogoi had said, while informing that an inquiry had been instituted to identify the lapses on the part of the power company.

'' There is no way to get prior warning in respect of increase in inflow, hence giving forewarning to the adjacent areas is not feasible. However, a general circular was issued to the concerned authorities prior to the onset of the monsoon,'' Mr Abbey said.

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