📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Dr Vikramjit Kakati
National
Centre directs Assam, Nagaland to assess ecological damage in Dikhow river basin
✍️ Hub News
🗓 30 Oct 2026, 12:46 AM
👁 13
The Union government has asked the states of Assam and Nagaland to conduct a joint assessment of ecological damage in the Dikhow river basin.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued a formal directive to the governments of Assam and Nagaland to evaluate the ecological impact in the Dikhow river basin. The order, conveyed through a circular, calls for a comprehensive scientific study covering water quality, biodiversity loss and soil erosion in the catchment area.
The Dikhow, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, traverses ecologically sensitive zones in both states. Recent reports of altered flow patterns, illegal sand mining and deforestation have raised concerns about the river's health and its downstream effects on agriculture and fisheries.
Both state administrations are expected to set up a joint technical committee comprising forest officials, hydrologists and local experts. The committee will submit its findings and recommended remedial actions to the centre within a stipulated timeframe.
The central government has indicated that the assessment will guide future conservation measures, possible compensation for affected communities, and stricter enforcement of environmental regulations in the basin.
The Dikhow, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, traverses ecologically sensitive zones in both states. Recent reports of altered flow patterns, illegal sand mining and deforestation have raised concerns about the river's health and its downstream effects on agriculture and fisheries.
Both state administrations are expected to set up a joint technical committee comprising forest officials, hydrologists and local experts. The committee will submit its findings and recommended remedial actions to the centre within a stipulated timeframe.
The central government has indicated that the assessment will guide future conservation measures, possible compensation for affected communities, and stricter enforcement of environmental regulations in the basin.