Guwahati, Aug. 9 -- The recent devastating floods in Upper Assam's Sivasagar and adjoining districts should trigger a serious debate on environmental degradation, including detrimental mining and deforestation, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said on Saturday, warning that what happened in Sivasagar today could happen in any other part of Assam tomorrow.

Speaking at a special lecture organised by environmental collective Dharitri Suraksha Mancha, Assam, in Guwahati on Saturday, Justice Bhuyan said relief measures were necessary but could provide only a temporary response to the crisis.

"The suddenness of the flood and the intensity of the flood has caught the people and our system," Justice Bhuyan said, stressing the need for a...