The Central Government has instructed the Assam Government to draft a concept note for the restoration of 271 wetlands aimed at facilitating floodwater diversion, with a deadline set for December this year. The North East Space Application Centre (NESAC) has already identified these 271 wetlands, which are potential candidates for rejuvenation to manage floodwaters. The Water Resources Department has pinpointed nine specific wetlands across seven districts that could be revived for this purpose, and a budget of Rs. 380 crore has already been allocated for the project. However, the Centre believes that a feasibility study must be conducted for all 271 identified wetlands by NESAC before proceeding further.
Sources have indicated that the goal is to divert around three million cubic meters of floodwater into these water bodies during the flood season. One of the main challenges in this process is the diversion of floodwaters, particularly since it may require altering riverbanks. In instances where floodwaters overflow the banks, diverting them into rejuvenated wetlands could be a more feasible solution. While the entire process will take some time to implement, funding should not pose a problem as the Centre has assured the necessary financial support. Previously, the government had considered constructing large tanks for water diversion, but a lack of available land in the Brahmaputra basin made this impractical. As a result, the decision to focus on restoring and rejuvenating existing wetlands was made.
