Assam CM holds meeting with Meghalaya CM; discusses border dispute and Joint Irrigation Power Project

Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 3 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma held a high-level meeting on Monday evening at the State Guest House in Koinadhara, Guwahati, to deliberate on key inter-state issues concerning the two northeastern states.
The three issues that were discussed included Assam - Meghalaya inter-state border issue, proposal to commission joint power and irrigation project and ways to resolve urban flooding in Guwahati.
After the meeting, both Chief Ministers jointly addressed a press conference during which CM Sarma said, "Earlier in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, we resolved six out of 12 boundary disputes between both the states. We will be able to erect boundary pillar in 5 dispute areas by August 15. There is some minor problems for Pillingkata area. We keep talking for other six dispute areas. For a Power project we will jointly commission the 55 MW of power project. We have decided to jointly go ahead for the project."
"Urban flood in Guwahati, Assam Government has shown detailed presentation to the Meghalaya government. Meghalaya government has also opinioned. We have decided that, NESAC will conduct satellite mapping and they will provide it within 3 months. NESAC will provide complete satellite images within 3 months and we will bring it to IIT Roorkee," Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma echoed the same, saying both governments have agreed to task North Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC) with carrying out a comprehensive satellite-based study to better understand the hydrological and environmental factors contributing to urban flooding.
"We have decided to approach NESAC to do a detailed study in terms of the entire satellite imaging, whether it is of the different forest area, whether it's different water flowing, whether it's different areas of water logging. Once this entire detailed study is done in the next few months, we will then approach agencies like the IIT Roorkee to further, then break that analysis into actual steps that we could take to find a solution that would be able to implement for both the states and be beneficial for both the states."
Acknowledging the concerns of flooding in Guwahati, Meghalaya chief minister expressed concerns on how both the states can work together to find solution to minimise flood in Guwahati city and also find ways to address the concerns of the people in the Meghalaya side, where people are engaged in economic and livelihood activities.
On the border issue, CM Sangma confirmed that boundary pillars in five out of the six resolved areas will be installed by August 15. He added that minor concerns in areas like Gijang and Tarabari still need to be addressed, likely in Meghalaya's favour.
"We are very close to actually finalising the pillars and I am happy to inform you that most likely, by the 15th of August, or before the 15th of August, we will be able to resolve and finalise the actual pillars in the five areas of differences. (for which the MoU has already been signed). This will be a major milestone and another strong testament of the friendship between Assam state", he added, adding that talks will continue for the remaining six unresolved areas.
The meeting comes at a time when both the states are grappling with flood situation following days of relentless rainfall, leading to overflowing rivers and inundation of low-lying areas. Assam, in particular, has been severely affected, with thousands of people displaced and large tracts of agricultural land submerged. (ANI)