Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Opposition leaders in Assam are blaming coal mining for the catastrophic floods that hammered the region. Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi and Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi targeted the BJP government on August 14, claiming environmental wreckage caused the devastation. The floods hit Charaideo, Sivasagar, and Jorhat on July 19.
Akhil Gogoi rejected government claims of a cloudburst. He cited India Meteorological Department data and World Weather Attribution research, which included input from IIT professors, to argue rainfall levels did not justify the scale of the disaster. He pointed his finger directly at unregulated coal mining in Nagaland for destroying drainage and river systems.
Gaurav Gogoi echoed these concerns. He accused BJP leaders of silence on the coal mafia while floods ravage the northeast. He specifically slammed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for denying the existence of illegal coal pits. “People across Assam are witnessing the impact of illegal mining and would not be convinced by what he described as false claims,” Gaurav Gogoi said.
The accusations went further. Akhil Gogoi named Assam Water Resources Minister Susanta Borgohain and Sonari MLA Dharmeshwar Konwar as having ties to mining in the Upper and Lower Tiru areas. He demanded a full scientific investigation. Methlaw Konyak disputed the link between Nagaland mining and the flooding, inviting the MLA to inspect the sites personally.
The Congress party plans a massive protest against the alleged mafia presence. Meanwhile, the state government insists it is tackling flood issues through administrative and scientific channels. These claims remain unverified.
Updated at 15th August 2026 at 1:49pm
A separate World Weather Attribution study released for 2026 confirms that while monsoonal rainfall stayed within historical norms, the disaster was worsened by rapid urbanisation, deforestation, and the loss of wetlands. The researchers found no clear evidence that human-caused climate change drove the intensity of these specific rains. Instead, they warned that hard infrastructure like concrete embankments often backfires by trapping silt and blocking natural water flow.
The report highlights how past land-use policies forced low-income families onto dangerous, flood-prone riverbanks. Experts from the study now push for a shift toward restoring natural floodplains and improving early warning systems rather than relying on heavy construction. According to Friederike Otto of Imperial College London, these findings prove that not every disaster stems from climate change, and that sustainable land management remains the only way to build real resilience.
Updated at 16th August 2026 at 1:48am
On Independence Day, Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi launched an indefinite hunger strike in Sivasagar. He demands the state government provide 10 lakh rupees in compensation to every flood-hit family and business. Gogoi is pushing for an official investigation into the flooding and insists on immediate reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure in the three districts hardest hit by the July disaster.
Meanwhile, ONGC is funneling 25 crore rupees into recovery efforts. Executive Director Uday Paswan announced that 5 crore will go directly to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, while the remaining 20 crore is earmarked to rebuild schools across Sivasagar and Charaideo. The oil company reported that their own assets and residential colonies were submerged during the peak of the floods, forcing them to hold a low-key ceremony on Independence Day.
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