A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: At a time when the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited Dhemaji in order to take stock of the flood situation of the district on Wednesday, the Dhemaji district body of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) initiated stir demanding the construction of the Sissi-Tekeliphuta embankment of the mighty Brahmaputra by installing geo-bags.
In support of the demand, the activists of the organization formed human chain on the said embankment at Baghbheta under Machkhowa area in association with hundreds of local people. The district units of several organizations of the State, including Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), extended their support to the stir and took part in the programme which was organized under the auspices of Machkhowa regional unit of AASU.
Notably, the Sissi-Tekeliphuta embankment of River Brahmaputra, which safeguards the larger area of Machkhowa under Dhemaji district and Dhakuakhana subdivision of Lakhimpur district, is in deplorable conditions since years. Like the former Congress-led governments, the ruling government at present has also not paid any heed to strengthen the embankment, as a result of which the people living in the area have to spend sleepless nights in fear of possible flood during the rainy season.
Taking part in the programme, AASU vice-president Chitta Ranjan Basumotary, AJYCP dignitary Ratul Borgohain, Dhemaji AASU president Dipak Sarmah and general secretary Kalyan Gogoi became vocal against the alleged betrayal politics of the ruling government regarding the issue. The organization also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister in support of the demand. In the same memorandum, Dhemaji AASU also demanded to set up a WRD watch point on the embankment, to declare flood and erosion as national problem and to compensate and rehabilitate the flood and erosion victims.