Assam Police detained the Chief Project Officer of NEEPCO -Doyang River Project, Priyabrata Das in coordination with Nagaland Police on Saturday.
A special police team led by DSP Partha Saikia detained him from the Assam-Nagaland border.
BJP legislator from Khumtai Mrinal Saikia who lodged an FIR against the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (NEEPCO) official on Friday, also confirmed the news while speaking to media in Golaghat.
Based on the FIR, the Golaghat Police registered a case (No 578/18) under sections 120 B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code read with sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, which deals with mischief causing damage to public property and mischief causing damage to public property by fire or explosive substance respectively.
In the FIR, it has been alleged by Saikia that on July 27, 2018, the Doyang Hydro-electric Project run by the NEEPCO had released ‘excess waters’ from its dam without notifying neither the Golaghat district administration nor the State Government in advance thereby causing sudden rise of water level in Dhansiri and Doyang rivers and as a result causing flood in the adjoining river side areas. The flood has inundated 90 villages so far affecting 2185 hectares of crop land and rendering thousands of people homeless. Three persons have lost their lives.
A total of 99 villages/ localities in the district are reeling under water. 12 villages/localities in Sarupathar, 12 in Merapani, 19 in Morongi, 14 Khumtai, 12 in Golghat, 23 in Bokakhat and seven in border areas (Sector B) are still submerged under water.
It is to be noted that Saikia is also planning to file a writ petition against the NEEPCO in the Gauhati High Court.