The State Assembly today passed the Guwahati Water Bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Bill, 2008, which aims at saving the city from flash flood by preserving, protecting, conserving, regulating and maintaining Sarusola, Borsola, Silsako and Deepor Beels of the Guwahati metropolitan development area. The legislation seeks to develop these wetlands as natural water reservoirs. The legislation has also proposed development of these water bodies also as eco-tourism recreation centres to maintain the ecological balance within the jurisdiction of the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) by protecting them from encroachers. Replying to the debate on the bill, Guwahati Development Department (GDD) Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the House that it was also a desire of the State Government that the Bharalu should be widened. These measures are aimed at saving the city from flash flood and its low-lying areas like Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar etc from the backflow of the Bharalu by diverting the storm water to the above water bodies. At present, the river is virtually made to bear the entire load of the storm water generated in the city. This is putting the above low-lying areas at the risk of being inundated by the backflow of the river whenever its Bharalumukh sluice gate remains closed during the high flood season, the Minister said. The Government is also initiating moves to acquire land along the banks of the rivers and wetlands by compensating the patta holders. Initially, for now, an amount of Rs 12 crore has been earmarked to pay those having patta land inside the Deepor Beel for the purpose, he said. The Government has plan also to remove encroachment from the Bahini. But it is prevented from carrying out the plan because of some cases pending with the High Court. Now on, granting of permission for land sale etc within the city will require three years time so as to prevent selling of water body land. The Government is planning an amendment to the present bill in March next to cover more water bodies including the Bahini, Bharalu and Mora Bharalu and some other wetlands, and, also to check garbage dumping on the water bodies, among others, said the Minister. In reply to the charge that the Government resorted to demolition of the bridges over the Bahini and the Bharalu without serving notices to the people involved despite such structures bearing the seal of approval of the authorities concerned, the Minister said that there was no order from the Governor permitting erection of such structures. He also opposed the idea of service roads along the banks of the water bodies saying that it would lead to more complicacies, as commercial establishments would start springing up along such roads. In the discussion on the bill, Captain Robin Bordoloi (Congress), Dr Alaka Sarma and Ramendranarayan Kalita (AGP) also took part. In its statement of objects and reasons, the legislation says that it is felt necessary to preserve the major water bodies of Guwahati like the Borsola, Sarusola, Silsako, Deepor etc beels in order to preserve their water holding capacity and to maintain ecology. The problem of