Morung Express News
Guwahati | August 27
The Gauhati High Court on August 26 heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in which former Assam Leader of Opposition and former legislator Debabrata Saikia alleged that a “man-made catastrophe” in Assam had claimed several lives and displaced many people.
According to the court’s order, the petitioner attributed the alleged catastrophe to the “prolonged failure” of the government to stop illegal and unscientific riverbed mining in the Dikhou (Dikhu) river and its tributaries.
The petitioner also alleged that the authorities had completely ignored directions of the High Court concerning coal mining in the Nagaland catchment area, as well as directions relating to the release of water from the Doyang Hydro-Electric Project, located in Wokha Nagaland.
The PIL names the State of Assam, the State of Nagaland, several government departments and agencies, the Union Government, the Central Water Commission, Central Pollution Control Board, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC) among the respondents.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury heard the matter and issued notices, with responses returnable by November.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on November 3, 2026.
