Borjhar, Dec. 15: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has asked the Assam government to be "serious and humane" while implementing its flood management project.

An ADB team inspected the Assam Integrated Flood and River Bank Erosion Risk Management Project (funded by the bank) at Palasbari today.

Natsuko Totsuka, mission leader-cum-senior water resource specialist of ADB, and principal safeguard specialist Dewi Utami met officials of the state water resources department and Flood and River Bank Management Agency (FREMA) at the project site.

"Don't remove a single affected person without paying adequate compensation. We want the project to be executed properly," Totsuka told the state's officials. They also urged the "technical and non-technical groups to work together."

The project was initiated at Palasbari, 30km from Guwahati, in June 2012. It should have been completed by September 30 last year but the ADB has since extended the deadline by 22 months.

The project covers a 5km area from Dakhala hill in Kamrup to Majirgaon in Kamrup Metro. It includes erosion control measures, strengthening of the existing embankment and construction of another.

The state water resources department is supervising the project while FREMA issues the work order.

The team questioned the officials as to why the evaluation report of the project had not been submitted yet. "Evaluation report must be submitted at the earliest," Totsuka said. The ADB team also heard the grievances of families affected by the project and urged them not to leave their homes till they are adequately compensated. He said since the local people were keen on knowing the nature of the work, officials must explain the details of the project at a formal gathering and put up signboards in the local language.

Pranab Kalita, a resident of the area, alleged improper land acquisition for the project. "Under the project, 75m of land from the riverbank has to be acquired throughout but this has not been the case in some areas."

Naba Kalita, another resident, alleged that the underwater work, like geo-bag dumping and boulder caging, was not satisfactory. A group of women told ADB officials that they could not relocate because the authority has not provided them with suitable plots of land.

The Kamrup district administration had provided land at Boratoli and Kochpara for rehabilitation of the 103 affected families. However, they have refused to move alleging that the land was not fit for human habitation.

Sources associated with the Palasbari Gumi Project said an order had been issued last month to develop the allotted land for rehabilitation.