Sustainable erosion protection measures for Majuli

Agriculturally rich Bhakat Chapori of Majuli grappling with unabated erosion is a wake-up call for the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. Xatradhikar Pitambar Dev Goswami of Sri Sri Auniati Xatra in the river island has drawn the attention of the state government towards the perennial problem. The Xatradhikar, while speaking to this newspaper, has correctly highlighted that Majuli needs permanent measures to curb erosion, as temporary measures have been proved to be ineffective. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change insists that although there has been a decrease in the total area of Majuli from the base year (1973-74), the total area of the river island has remained the same during the recent decades. This Ministry informed the Lok Sabha in July that this conclusion was arrived at after the Central Water Commission carried out a morphological study of the Brahmaputra River using remote sensing technology through the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. The study also indicates that there exists a continuous process of erosion-deposition around the landmass of Majuli. The Brahmaputra Board, tasked with checking erosion in Majuli, has been executing erosion protection and flood mitigation measures. The Board has executed four schemes since 2004 involving a total cost of Rs 183 crore. Another project involving a total cost of Rs 233 crore was sanctioned in 2017. The Board claims that soil erosion caused by the Brahmaputra has been substantially reduced following implementation of these erosion protection and flood mitigation measures. The scientific explanations and the claims, however, do not reduce the apprehension of residents of Majuli living and cultivating the areas hit by erosion and the threats of displacement looming large over them as the problem is real for them. The number of revenue villages in the river island drastically reduced from 210 in the eighties to 141 due to severe erosion over the past three decades. According to the District Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan for Majuli, of these 141 existing revenue villages, 103 are vulnerable to flood and erosion, and of the 43 chapories (sand isles) of the river island, 23 are inhabited and the rest are uninhabited. Altogether, 69 villages vanishing due to erosion led to the displacement of a large number of families, the majority of whom continue to reside on the embankments in temporary settlements without basic amenities. Loss of homestead and cultivable land pushed thousands of indigenous people of the river island into penury. Rehabilitation of displaced families with an adequate support system continues to be a huge challenge for the district authorities due to a dearth of suitable land. In this context, checking erosion effectively and protecting every inch of inhabited landmass is extremely important to prevent aggravation of the rehabilitation burden. The disaster preparedness and response plan recommends phase-wise construction of colonies for rehabilitation of erosion-affected families, which is a pragmatic solution and warrants the attention of both the state and central governments for necessary funding. Apart from socio-economic considerations, protecting Majuli's existing landmass from further erosion is also crucial for protecting its rich cultural repositories in Xatras. Assam can boast of majestic Xatriya tradition introduced by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev and kept preserved in these Xatras for centuries as living tradition. The rich cultural tapestry of Majuli makes it a prime destination for thousands of domestic and international tourists. Vast natural landscapes of the islands and their rich biodiversity are also key attractions for nature-loving tourists. When a chapori is lost to erosion, the rich biodiversity and beautiful landscape also get lost. While erosion of chaporis and formation of a new chapori due to deposition of sand and silt is a natural process, erosion threats to chaporis inhabited by people need to be mitigated to prevent displacement and loss of livelihood. Protection of Majuli from ravaging annual floods and erosion with permanent solutions has been dominating the disaster management discourse in the state. The issue got prominence when the river island was nominated by the central government for inclusion on the list of World Heritage Sites (WHC) under the Cultural Landscape category. Demonstration of collective efforts by the government to protect the river island's natural and cultural assets, tradition, and heritage through tangible measures is essential to convincing WHC experts about strong commitment by all stakeholders towards such conservation efforts once it gets the World Heritage tag. When erosion continues unabated, it triggers apprehension of loss of valuable natural and cultural assets in addition to loss of livelihood and dwelling houses and institutional buildings. To make erosion-protection measures for Majuli stronger, more sustainable, and more durable than the ones already put in place, they need to be backed by adequate scientific research. The central government prioritising Majuli's protection from flood and erosion and allocating adequate funds should come with a rider of its utilisation for sustainable and permanent solutions. Preventing further loss of Majuli's land is an urgent need of the hour.