Himanta Sarma Blames Meghalaya University For ‘Flood Jihad’ In Guwahati, Varsity Responds

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused a private university, located in the outskirts of Guwahati in neighbouring state of Meghalaya, of waging “flood jihad” by demolishing hills on its campus to build new structures.

Sarma placed the blame on the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) and claimed that the construction has led to large-scale waterlogging in Guwahati.

USTM is located in 9th Mile area in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya on the outskirts of Guwahati.  This is the district where the hills of Meghalaya descend into Guwahati in Jorabat.

While addressing a press conference on Friday, Sarma claimed the university is demolishing all the hills on its campus to construct new buildings to start a medical college and that is “one of the reasons” for waterlogging in Guwahati.

“I feel that the USTM owner has started a flood jihad. No nature-loving people cut forests and hills ruthlessly in this way. Nowadays, buildings can be constructed on the hills with proper architectural design,” he added.

He further called for a boycott saying that the “only solution” was for students and staff from Assam to stop studying and working there.

“The USTM is located in Meghalaya, but 90 per cent of its students and teachers are from Assam. If our students and teachers stop going there, it will automatically stop destroying the hills,” Sarma said.

He said that a letter has been sent to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on the issue and both the chief ministers would meet to discuss the problem.

University defies CM’s claim

Meanwhile, the institution defied the chief minister’s allegations and said that it contributes a “miniscule portion” of the water that flows into Guwahati.

“USTM campus area is a small part of the Baridua area till Jorabat in Ri-Bhoi district which has largely developed on both sides of the GS Road. USTM campus contributes maybe a miniscule portion of the total water that flows down the Kiling Road through the various drains to the GS Road (Guwahati-Shillong Road) on both sides,” the university said in a statement.

The university further said that the campus constructions were carried out with requisite permission from the Meghalaya government.

“USTM is a NAAC ‘A’ accredited University… and is a recognised Green Campus, which is one of the priorities of NAAC being a body of the Ministry of Education,” it added.

It further claimed that various initiatives for implementing green technologies and installations like water harvesting, groundwater recharging and solar power generation have been undertaken.

The varsity has water harvesting plants and five big natural reservoirs, where rainwater is stored.

USTM, a private university established in 2008, is promoted by the Education Research and Development Foundation, which was founded by Mahbubul Hoque. Hoque is also the Chancellor of the University. He is a Muslim of Bengali-origin from Assam’s Karimganj district in the Barak Valley.

Almost 6,000 students study and 1,500 faculty and employees work at USTM from across the North East states with a considerable share from Assam, being the largest of NE states.

Heavy rain lashed the Assam city on Monday, leading to large-scale water logging, inconveniencing commuters.

The Gauhati High Court on Wednesday said that time has come to deal with the problem of waterlogging in the city and the government is required to take steps to resolve this problem permanently, asking to submit a plan to mitigate the crisis by August 19.

(With inputs from PTI)