Villagers Fight Erosion With Porcupine Spars Of Siang River, Arunachal

A CORRESPONDENT

PASIGHAT: The villagers of Seram are voluntarily erecting porcupine spars to divert the current of Siang River which is continuously eroding away lands of Seram and other villages on its left bank in the Lower Mebo area.

While talking about their as flood protection efforts to protect the villages from further erosion and damages, Seram village Gaon Burah, Josung Modi said that, devoid of any government assistance till date in stopping or minimizing massive erosions toward the villages, the villagers are volunteering to protect their own villages.

“Since long we have been suffering from massive destruction of the Siang River but there have been no serious efforts from our State and Central governments as yet,” added Modi who is also doubtful about the possible release of Rs. 35 crores assured by Chief Minister Pema Khandu with regards to flood protection works mostly under Lower Mebo covering villages like Sigar, Raling, Motum, Borguli, Seram, Kongkul, Gadum and Mer.

Seram village secretary Amit Modi also appealed to the State government to speed up the release of Rs. 35 crores meant for flood-protection works. The Siang River gobbled up the entire old Seram village called ‘Ramku’. The villagers of Ramku shifted to a newer location called 'Palek' a couple of years ago.

The flood protection works are being continuing from the last four days and the works are likely to continue for some more days, informed Anthony Gamnoh, one of the active youths from Seram village.

Meanwhile, residents of the neighbouring Namsing village -- a few kilometers south of Seram village along the bank of the Siang River -- recently conducted a series of similar massive flood protection works with such traditional-style porcupine spars to minimize massive soil erosion.

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