Protecting Majuli from erosion

The attention which Majuli gets as the largest inhabited river island of the world or as the cultural capital of Assam overshadows the problem of alarming shrinkage of its landmass due to erosion. An effective solution to the problem of erosion caused by the river Brahmaputra has remained elusive. Promises to protect Majuli from erosion have been galore but permanent measures are still nowhere in sight. The number of erosion-hit families, for whom the embankments have become the permanent address, has increased as anti-erosion measures have remained piecemeal. The Central government informed the Lok Sabha in 2017 that the area of the river island was 733.79 sq. km as per the Survey of India map of 1940. The area decreased to about 502.21 square kilometres in 2004. Thus, over a period of 64 years, Majuli lost area larger than the size of Guwahati city. The Parliament was informed that between 2004 and 2016 there was a net gain of 22.08 sq. km of land due to the deposition of silt which resulted in the increase in the landmass of the river island to 524.29 sq. km in 2016. However, the erosion continues unabated and the status keeps changing. There is also discrepancy in official data. The District Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan (DDPRP) for the Majuli district states in 2019 that the area of the river island reduced to 483 sq. km in 2014. This contradicts the claim of the Central government quoting information provided by the State government about the gain in land mass due to implementation of the flood control and erosion management works implemented by the Brahmaputra Board.

Majuli became India's first island district and the 33rd district of Assam in 2016. The island's population in 2011 Census was 1.67 lakh. Erosion has increased the pressure on available land manifold and has made living on the island unsustainable for many displaced families forcing them to migrate out of Majuli. The island had 210 revenue villages and 33 non-cadastral villages, primarily resettled and rehabilitated due to flood and erosion. The DDPRP states that of the 210 revenue villages, only 141 currently exist. Of the existing revenue villages, 96 villages are vulnerable to floods. The narrative discourse on Majuli's flood and erosion needs to move beyond the great earthquakeof 1950. The knowledge that the great earthquake raised the riverbed of the Brahmaputra resulting in widening of the river and intensity in flooding and riverbank erosion is of paramount importance for the experts to devise the right strategy. The question remained unanswered is why the solutions based on the knowledge gathered have not been effective in arresting the gradual loss of landmass of the river island. The problem continues to persist as the successive governments at the Centre and in the State never cared to become pro-active to find answer to this question. Over the years, the initiatives of the Central and the State governments for Majuli's protection have reduced to routine approval of standard anti-erosion schemes like construction of earthen embankment, spur and porcupine, sanction, and release of fund. Absence of strict evaluation and monitoring the implementation of projects and utilisation of funds allowed a nexus of corrupt officials and contractors to indulge in corruption and loot public fund in the name of implementing works of Majuli's protection from flood and erosion. More skeletons will tumble out of the cupboard if a comprehensive probe into utilisation of the fund allocated and released for undertaking works for protection of the river island is instituted. The 15th Finance Commission recognising river erosion as a natural calamity and recommending for adequate compensation including rehabilitation under the State Disaster Risk Mitigation Fund and National Disaster Risk Mitigation Fund has brightened hopes for rehabilitation of the erosion-hit families of the island. However, rehabilitation is only a response mechanism disproportionate to the losses suffered by the displaced families and cannot replace preventive measures such as effective anti-erosion measures which can prevent displacement caused by erosion and make rehabilitation redundant. Setting up of the proposed North East Water Management Authority (NEWMA) is being showcased as the solution to perennial problem of flood and erosion in Assam. The primary objective of the Central government behind setting up the NEWMA is to harness the hydropower potential of the Northeast region while the Brahmaputra Board will be subsumed within it for utilisation of water resources and mitigation of flood and erosion problems. Majuli's woes will be far from over if hydropower utilisation becomes a priority for the proposed regional authority. The State government needs to impress upon the Central government to pay special attention to Majuli's protection from unabated erosion. The process of consultation by the Central government with the North-eastern States over setting up of NEWMA brings an opportunity for the Assam government to articulate the best approach for a permanent solution to problems of Majuli.