August 14, 2024: The state government plans to introduce the Assam Urban Area Water Bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Bill, 2024, in the upcoming Assembly session starting on August 22, aiming to reduce urban floods and protect groundwater.

Minister Keshab Mahanta announced on Tuesday that the Cabinet has approved the Assam Urban Area Water Bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Bill, 2024, to be presented in the upcoming Assembly session. The current act is intended solely for the water bodies of Guwahati.

The upcoming law to be implemented will include the water sources of every metropolitan area in the state. Once the proposed act is implemented, the state government will carry out a survey of the urban water sources. A state-level committee led by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singal and district-level committees led by district commissioners will be established by the government.

The committees are expected to hand in their survey findings within a three-month period. The government will inform urban water bodies according to the survey reports.

The Minister also mentioned that the legislation will include penalties of three-year jail sentences and a Rs 1 lakh fine if any designated water reservoir, including those on private property, is filled in.