Twin trouble: More than floods, erosion wreaks havoc in Assam

Flood situation still critical; 444 villages affected

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam remains critical. But more than floods, erosion is wreaking havoc in several parts of the State. Roads, culverts, dykes and embankments have been destroyed due to erosion. Erosion has washed away houses and large tracts of agricultural land.

According to official report, 444 villages in 15 districts have been affected by floods. These include 125 villages in the Kokrajhar district, 18 villages in the Lakhimpur district, 81 in the Nalbari district, 94 villages in the Darrang district and 21 villages in the Hojai district. Till today, 25 relief camps had been set up in the affected areas. Among these 25 relief camps, 17 have been set up in the Lakhimpur district. Embankments have been breached in Gohpur, Raha and Tihu while in Barama, Bijni, Patharighat, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Dotoma, roads, culverts, schools and Anganwadi centres have been destroyed. The district authorities are on alert to tackle any emergency. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed in the affected areas for relief and rescue operations.

However, more than floods, erosion by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries is posing a serious threat. The government has directed officials to prioritize and expedite erosion-prevention measures. According to official data, during the period from 2000-2022, around 3.90 lakh hectares of land in the State have been washed away due to erosion and almost 1,000 villages have been engulfed by the river. The worst affected districts are Morigaon, Dibrugarh, Darrang and Barpeta.

Sources said that mitigating erosion is a significant challenge for the government. It needs comprehensive strategy but for various reasons, this has not happened. The government still resorts to traditional methods to check erosion. But due to climate change, the river is changing its character and erosion has intensified. Unless the government takes up a comprehensive strategy to check this large-scale erosion, villages will continue to get wiped away, people will continue to be rendered homeless and agricultural land will continue to shrink.

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