Guwahati: Re-sharing a tweet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his visit to the Afsluitdijk in the Netherlands, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the Netherlands' pioneering work in water governance is highly relevant to Assam's flood-prone and riverine landscape.
Water Governance Collaboration
In a post on 'X', Sarma wrote, "Netherlands is indeed doing some pioneering work in water governance which is of high relevance to Assam's flood-prone and riverine landscape." He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for personally steering efforts to strengthen India's collaboration with the international community on water management, adding that Assam will gain immensely from it. "Assam is already deepening its partnership with various Dutch institutions on morphological modelling, forecasting and flood risk planning," he added.
Prime Minister Modi had tweeted, "An area in which the Netherlands has done pioneering work is water resources. There is a lot the entire global community can learn from them. This morning, I had the opportunity to visit the Afsluitdijk and understand the salient features of this project. I am thankful to PM Rob Jetten for accompanying me here."
Bodo Scarf 'Aronai' on Global Stage
Sarma also commended PM Modi for donning the traditional Bodo scarf — 'Aronai' — at an official engagement in the Netherlands, adding that it was a testament to the community's rich handloom heritage. He expressed gratitude to Modi for ushering in peace and progress in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) of the state. In a post on 'X', Sarma wrote: "Aronai reflects the pride and rich handloom heritage of Assam's Bodo community. Proud to see Adarniya Narendra Modi ji carrying it with grace on the global stage in the Netherlands."
Modi wore the Aronai around his neck while addressing the Indian diaspora in The Hague. He had reached the Netherlands on Friday on a two-day visit.
This development underscores the growing ties between India and the Netherlands in water management, a critical area for Assam which faces annual floods. The collaboration with Dutch institutions is expected to bring advanced techniques in morphological modelling and flood risk planning to the state.
