What happened: affidavit notice after August 17 floods in eastern Assam
Gauhati High Court directed the Assam and Nagaland governments and related authorities to file detailed affidavits by November 3 regarding the August 17 floods that affected eastern Assam. The court action is part of a public interest petition and focuses on contested flood causes and administrative responsibility.
The public interest petition was filed by Debabrata Saikia, a Congress leader and former MLA from Nazira. Saikia’s plea focuses on flash flooding along the Assam–Nagaland border with impacts reported in Sivasagar and neighbouring districts in eastern Assam.
Background and earlier position: mining-related PILs and alleged non-implementation
Debabrata Saikia argued that prolonged administrative inaction after warnings and earlier court directions worsened disaster outcomes. Saikia cited earlier public interest litigations from 2018 and 2019 that raised concerns about alleged illegal and unscientific sand and stone mining in the Dikhow river, particularly in areas near the Assam–Nagaland border.
The petition also alleged mining-related activities in Nagaland catchment areas and raised upstream dam water releases as factors that could influence flood severity in eastern Assam.
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