Guwahati | Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu has said climate change and a weather phenomenon in the Indian Ocean, known as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), may have contributed to the extreme rainfall and flooding witnessed in Upper Assam last month.

Speaking at the ceremonial inauguration of the ‘Brikhya Bondhu’ programme at Srimanta Shankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati on Tuesday, Pegu said the recent floods highlighted the growing impact of climate change on Assam’s weather patterns.

“Although there are different reports going around about the causes or reasons behind the recent Upper Assam deluge, scientists believe a phenomenon similar to El Niño in the Pacific Ocean is taking place in the Indian Ocean, called the Indian Ocean Dipole, and its effects have been felt here,” Pegu said.

Drawing attention to extreme weather events in other parts of the world, including unprecedented heatwaves in Europe, the minister said such developments indicated that climate change was increasingly affecting weather patterns across regions.

Pegu referred to the July 19 floods in Assam and described the scale of the disaster as unprecedented. “This time, we witnessed a situation which we had never seen in the last 100 years. Why did it happen? Today, the heat is soaring, while just a few days ago there was torrential rainfall,” he said.

The minister stressed the need for greater public participation in efforts to address climate change, arguing that expanding forest and tree cover remained one of the most effective measures available to communities. “The only weapon in the hands of people to fight climate change is afforestation and plantation, to increase the green cover,” Pegu said.

His remarks came as the Assam government launched the ‘Brikhya Bondhu’ initiative, a major component of the Amrit Brikhya Andolan aimed at involving students in large-scale plantation activities. More than 20 lakh students from Class VI onwards are expected to plant over 1.5 crore saplings across Assam over four days under the campaign.

Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said the initiative was intended to encourage young people to take a greater role in environmental conservation as the country approaches the 80th year of Independence. “We are aiming for plantation of more than 1.5 crore saplings by over 20 lakh students across Assam within four days,” Mallabaruah said.

The government will monitor the survival of the planted saplings through geo-tagged photographs uploaded immediately after plantation and again in January, officials said. Participants will receive online certificates, while the monitoring process will continue for six months to encourage students to maintain and nurture the saplings.

Under the initiative, students who plant 10 saplings will be recognised as “Brikhya Bondhu”, symbolising their commitment to protecting and expanding Assam’s green cover. The campaign comes amid renewed focus on climate resilience and environmental conservation following the severe floods and extreme weather conditions experienced across Assam this year.