GUWAHATI

Assam’s flood woes caused by the breaching of several strategic embankments in districts such as Golaghat and Nagaon have triggered a war of words between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress MP from Jorhat.

After touring some flood-affected areas in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh, Mr. Gogoi said Thursday the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was using the Water Resources Department like an ATM. He accused the BJP Ministers of striking deals with contractors to siphon off money from the department and make the most of the people’s misery.

The Chief Minister reacted after inspecting the flood-hit areas of Dibrugarh on Friday. “Fewer embankments have been breached this year. The ones that gave way were constructed during the Congress era. I can do nothing if someone indirectly insults his father,” he told journalists.

He referred to former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the Jorhat MP’s father.

Mr. Sarma asserted that his government was not responsible for the embankments that failed to withstand the force of water over two waves of flood.

Taking to social media a few days ago, he said the damage in some flood-prone areas of Assam was exacerbated by water cutting through at least eight embankments.

Congress and other opposition parties, including Raijor Dal, have slammed the government for the shoddy construction of some embankments. They specifically drew attention to the Hatimura embankment in Nagaon district’s Kaliabor area.

“This embankment was breached in 2023 but the repair work worth ₹6.71 crore was awarded to the same firm that constructed the embankment in 2017. Will the Chief Minister take action against this firm headed by one of his Minister’s brothers?” Raijor Dal vice president Rasel Hussain said.

Earlier, Mr. Gogoi said the Jal Shakti Department has repeatedly given embankment projects over the last 10 years of BJP rule to contractors who are not able to do their jobs properly. “The same contractors get the work again and again,” he added.