Rehabilitation of flood victims demanded

A Correspondent

DOOMDOOMA: The fury of flood in Talap-Kordoiguri area has rendered a large number of people homeless as it eroded away 20 villages due to a change of course of the Dibang river.

Three tributaries of the Brahmaputra river namely, Dihang, Dibang and Lohit flowing downwards from nearby Arunachal Pradesh meet at its confluence near Saikhowa and flow as mighty Brahmaputra. The whole of Saikhowa mauza on the south bank of the Brahmaputra is a flood prone area. But because of the hydro-dynamical change of the flow of the Dibang river, the erosion problem has become acute.

The lackadaisical attitudes of the successive governments added to the woes of the people. This was alleged by Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti, Tinsukia District Committee in its press meet convened at Doomdooma Sakha Xahitya Xabha bhavan on Monday.

Addressing the press meet, president Papu Dutta, secretary Umananda Moran said that the previous Congress Government did nothing to rehabilitate the flood and erosion affected people. As a result along with the destitute villagers of twenty villages namely, Rongajan, Chumarijan, Laina Laupati, Longpit, Tamuli, Kaitia, Gutibari, Borchagali, Udalguri, Hatighuli, Bhesha, Dorjijan, Orang Basti, Kokoratoli, Naukota, Ajukha, Chamua, Moiriya Sagar, Garoimari and Kailashpur that have already been eroded away, another 22 families of Kordoiguri village have been rendered homeless since 2010. For the last 29 years all these flood victims are taking shelter in places like Gakhirbheti, No.2 Michimikota grazing ground, Tipuk, Kordoiguri, Hatishal grazing ground, Ghilaguri as landless people. Worst still, in Kaitia shelter camp as many as twenty families are languishing in a plot of one bigha of land only.

On the other hand, Padmeswar Moran of No.3 Kordoiguri Goriating village fell victim of erosion on August 20, 2018. As per Article 21 of the Constitution, it is the duty of the Government to protect the life and property of the citizens of the country. But the successive governments at the State failed miserably to fulfil this Constitutional obligation.

The present BJP Government which talks about 'Jati, Mati and Bheti' is no different either. Strangely enough, although the big capitalist groups are illegally occupying huge plot of government land under Doomdooma Revenue Circle through tea plantation, no action has been initiated against them, they alleged. So Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti demanded the Government to rehabilitate the flood affected people in theses illegally occupied Government lands by evicting the unauthorised possession of land. On August 23, they protested in front of the DC office, Tinsukia. Now they have given one month's time to the administration to fulfill their demand. Else they would resort to extreme steps like fast unto death from September 27.

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