GUWAHATI: Over 60 per cent of 4,800 km embankments in Assam require repair or complete reconstruction as their carrying or flood resistance capacity has waned, the state Assembly was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a query by BJP MLA Bhupen Roy, Water Resources Minister Susanta Borgohain said his department has so far constructed 4,800 km of embankments across the state.
"Out of them, we have strengthened almost 1,800 km. We can say the carrying or flood resistance capacity of the remaining 3,000 km embankments has decreased," he added.
However, the Water Resources Department occasionally carries out maintenance work to keep these embankments in a working condition, Borgohain said.
"In the last five years, the Water Resources Department enhanced the height and strengthened almost 863 km of embankment. These works are at the last stages of completion," he added.
"Presently, we are left with repair or reconstruction of the remaining 3,000 km of embankments," the minister said.
He also informed the House that approximately 1,000 km have been handed over to the Public Works Department (PWD) for development of embankment-cum-roads.