Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court officially admitted a Public Interest Litigation filed by former Nazira MLA Debabrata Saikia regarding the catastrophic July 2026 floods in Upper Assam. The court ordered both Assam and Nagaland to submit detailed affidavits by November 3, 2026. The floods claimed over 80 lives and hit residents across Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Golaghat.
Saikia argues that administrative negligence fueled the disaster. He points to illegal, unscientific mining in the Dikhow riverbed and unrestrained coal operations in Nagaland’s Mon, Mokokchung, and Wokha districts. He claims authorities ignored prior court orders from 2019 and 2022. The state failed to form a mandated Mines and Minerals Task Force Battalion. Excavation continues despite a January 12, 2022, Water Resources Department report warning of river course shifts.
The Chief Justice noted that the petitioner has flagged these mining issues for eight years. The court now demands clarity on whether water releases from the Doyang Hydro Electric Project worsened the situation. Officials must also explain how 25 crore rupees spent on embankments failed to prevent the destruction.
Saikia is pushing for a retired judge to lead a high-powered monitoring committee. He wants FIRs filed against those responsible for mining and oversight failures. "The Government must answer why it ignored judicial orders for eight years," Saikia said. The petition further demands a scientific assessment of dam releases and restorative compensation for the thousands of displaced families.
Updated at 26th August 2026 at 10:00pm
Court filings clarify that Saikia previously pushed these issues through PIL 78 of 2018 and PIL 62 of 2019. The current case specifically demands a real-time coordination mechanism for dam water releases between the two states to prevent future surprises.
The Chief Justice signaled a broader inquiry into why recurring floods continue to hit the region with such force. The court is now digging into whether the two state governments maintained any functional communication lines before the disaster hit.
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