Guwahati: Former Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia on Wednesday sought the intervention of President Droupadi Murmu over alleged judicial non-compliance, rampant illegal mining along the Assam-Nagaland border, and its alleged role in exacerbating the devastating floods that struck Upper Assam on July 19.
In a letter addressed to the President, Saikia urged her to intervene in what he described as a matter of “grave public interest” involving environmental security, judicial non-compliance, and the protection of lives and property in Assam and Nagaland.
“As the former Member of the Legislative Assembly, Assam, and former Leader of the Opposition, I most respectfully submit this petition seeking your urgent and personal intervention in a matter involving grave public interest, environmental security, judicial non-compliance, and the protection of the lives and property of the people of Assam and Nagaland,” he wrote.
Saikia alleged that publicly available satellite imagery, open-source material, and media reports indicate continued violations of central mining and environmental safeguards in coal-bearing areas along the Assam-Nagaland border.
“The available information suggests that mining operations in these sensitive belts continue without adequate reclamation, backfilling, slope stabilisation, or lawful monitoring, despite the existence of clear policy frameworks for satellite-based land reclamation monitoring and periodic compliance reviews,” he said.
Referring to PIL No. 62/2019, filed by him before the Gauhati High Court, Saikia said the court had directed the constitution of a High-Power Committee and a Mines and Minerals Task Force Battalion to curb illegal mining and protect the fragile ecosystem of the Dikhow River.
He alleged that those directions have not been fully implemented.
“Subsequent contempt proceedings initiated in 2021 clearly show that the judicial directions have not been fully complied with, reflecting a continuing administrative disregard for binding court orders,” he said.
Saikia said the issue had assumed greater urgency following the July 19 floods in Upper Assam, which caused extensive damage across Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Golaghat districts.
“The flood caused severe loss of life, mass displacement, total crop damage, and widespread destruction of infrastructure. By late July, lakhs of people had been affected, with significant damage to houses, roads, embankments and farmland,” he said.
He further alleged that unchecked mining, riverbed disturbances, deforestation, and the absence of ecological restoration in adjoining hill and border areas may have aggravated the flooding and erosion.
Saikia also referred to statements made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had described the issue as an inter-state matter and expressed limitations in addressing it.
“While we acknowledge the jurisdictional boundaries of a state government, such public admissions of incapacity leave the people of Assam vulnerable. Since this is fundamentally an inter-state issue involving cross-border environmental degradation and judicial non-compliance, the state machinery has clearly reached its limits,” he said.
Appealing to the President, Saikia said a high-level committee should be constituted by the Centre to address the issue.
“As the First Citizen of the nation, the people look to you to safeguard their fundamental right to life and safety. Since our Chief Minister has conveyed his inability to effectively escalate or resolve this matter with the Central Government, a high-level committee must be constituted directly by the Centre to intervene,” he added.
Saikia urged the President to direct the concerned Union ministries, the National Green Tribunal, and other statutory authorities to establish an independent, time-bound, and publicly accountable monitoring mechanism for coal and mineral extraction in the Assam-Nagaland border districts.
Among his key demands were satellite-based monitoring of mining activities, geo-tagged inspections, public disclosure of mine reclamation and compliance status, strict implementation of the Gauhati High Court’s directions in PIL No. 62/2019, examination of the alleged non-compliance through pending contempt proceedings, an independent environmental and hydrological assessment of the link between mining-related degradation and the July 19 floods, and immediate closure, suspension, or prosecution of mining operations found violating environmental, forest, safety, or judicial norms.
“The people of Assam cannot be left to face repeated, man-made disasters while known illegalities and environmental violations remain unchecked. This petition is made in the larger public interest for the protection of rivers, forests, farmlands, settlements, human lives, and for the strict enforcement of constitutional governance and the rule of law,” Saikia said.