GUWAHATI, Jan 10 : This time, North East Indians themselves have come forward to apply their collective wisdom for tackling the chronic problems of flood and erosion in a scientific manner. The effort has come in the wake of a realisation that ‘limited understanding of the issues or dimensions involved’ crippled the attempts made so far to tame the mighty Brahmaputra.
One more realisation of the people here that ‘experts’ from outside the NE region use to suggest solutions without understanding the socio-economic impacts of such ‘solutions,’ is also a motivating factor behind this effort.
Voluntary organisation Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS) has formed a technical group – Core Professional Group (CPG) – with resident and non-resident North East Indian professionals from across the globe, to find out solutions to both the problems created by the Brahmaputra.
At present, this group includes experts like US-based Dr Arvind Phukan and Dr Deva Bora, Guwahati IIT’s Dr Chandan Mahanta, Roorkee IIT’s Dr Nayan Sarma and many others, who are working on the two problems, said FASS chairman and managing director (CMD) Rajen Barua in a message from USA.
The CPG will initiate a process of discussion on the two problems during the NE India International Meet, (NEIIM), 2010 being organised by the FASS with a two-day programme from January 11 at the Machkhowa ITA Centre for Performing Arts here. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will inaugurate the NEIIM that day at 9-30 am.
The deliberations on the problems will start in the first technical session of the meet at 2 pm of January 11. Renowned expert on the Himalayan rivers Prof Dulal Chandra Goswami will chair this session. It will be open for all interested persons, said the organisers.
CPG chairman Dr Arvind Phukan will present the keynote address in the session. Dr Phukan is now a consultant and a former Professor of the Alaska University.
Dr Deva Bora of Woolpert Inc, Prof Nayan Sharma and Dr Chandan Mahanta will make thematic presentations in the session.
The FASS CMD said that the CPG is seeking a holistic solution to the problems of the Brahmaputra flood and erosion.
The goal of the CPG is to coordinate and combine all the efforts undertaken so far by the NE Indians, together with works done by others in the field, for an integrated solution.
During the last six decades, a great amount of work has been done to mitigate the two problems.
“However, in spite of these ongoing efforts, we are doing very miserably. More disappointing is the fact that there does not seem to exist a clear blueprint for our work.
“What is needed is a holistic approach for the management of the Brahmaputra river basin through Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) similar to the Chinese efforts in case of the Yellow River.
“One of the problems is that many a time, people outside of the North East are suggesting solutions without understanding the socio-economic impacts. Many of these matters are decided by people from outside who have limited understanding of the issues or dimensions involved,” said the FASS CMD.
The CPG would like to receive suggestions and constructive criticism as well as cooperation from all stakeholders for combining the efforts to create the necessary political and cultural will for solving these two chronic problems, the FASS CMD said.
NEIIM-2010 is planned as a meeting ground of non-residents, residents and well-wishers of North East India. The expected number of non-residents in the meet is 100.
Plenary sessions of the meet will try to analyse the issues concerning the region’s economy, tourism, education, rural health, rural development, youth development, flood, erosion, etc.
Social Plugin