Assam brings new technology to contain flood

Guwahati, Oct 1 (UNI) Assam has decided to adopt new technology to minimise the damages in some of the worst flood-hit areas of the state.

''We are now going for geo-fabric bags. These bags have sizes from one tonne to 10 tonnes where soil and sands are filled up and used as a barrier. Once it comes in touch with water, the soil and sand turns into rock and become permanent,'' said Assam Water Resource Minister Prithivi Majhi.

He was recently given this new portfolio after former minister Bharat Chandra Narah was unceremoniously removed for repeatedly failing to protect the embankments of the state.

This year alone, the three waves of flood have damaged and breached 53 places in Assam, raising the question about the technical ability of its engineers as well as the material they use.

''In places like Matmora, where the maximum damage have been done, we are not getting boulders and sand embankments are just washed away by flood every time. These geo-fabric bags will solve the problem of rocks. These bags are being used world over,'' said Mr Majhi.

Assam has a Water Resource Department where hundreds of engineers use primitive crude technology to take on the might of the Brahmaputra each year only to waste more than Rs 300 crore in the past one decade in the name of flood management.

''Now armed with the new technology, not only are we confident of protecting Dhemaji district, but also want to move to Majuli where the Brahmaputra Board is doing the protection work,'' Mr Majhi added.

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