HT Digital
ITANAGAR, APR 10: Displaying remarkable resilience and unity, farmers from the flood-prone wetland rice cultivation (WRC) fields of Kongkin Rikyu in Borguli village, part of the Mebo Sub-Division in East Siang district, have taken it upon themselves to combat the destructive forces of the Siang (Brahmaputra) River.
For the past three days, over 60 farming families have been working tirelessly, day and night, constructing boulder bunds along the riverbanks to protect their fields from severe soil erosion during the monsoon.
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According to Joito Tayeng, President of the Kongkin Rikyu WRC Field Farmers Group, and General Secretary Tokmin Sisam, the initiative is entirely self-funded. “We are using our own resources, along with support from well-wishers, to build these bunds,” they shared. “There has been no government support so far. But we hope authorities will step in before it’s too late and we lose our farmland forever.”
Veteran farmers like Pampok Lego and Joint Tayeng voiced serious concerns about the worsening situation, emphasizing that the Siang River is now dangerously close to their cultivation areas. “The river is just meters away. If no action is taken before this monsoon, we may lose everything. This is our final effort to preserve our land,” said Lego.
Joining the initiative, local youth leader Kalingbung Tayeng made a heartfelt appeal to Chief Minister Pema Khandu for emergency intervention. “We request the government to release adequate funds for proper flood protection structures along the Siang’s left bank, especially in the Kongkin area, to save our WRC fields,” he urged.
The voluntary effort is concentrated at two key erosion points where the Tatsing and Siang rivers meet, just south of New Borguli village. These areas have become highly vulnerable due to shifting currents and recurrent floods.
The region has witnessed intense flood-induced erosion over the past 25 years, especially after the catastrophic “Chinese flood” of 2000, which caused the Siang to alter its course from the right to the left bank. That event led to the loss of hundreds of hectares of fertile farmland and vital infrastructure—including roads, electricity poles, schools, and health centers. In the last 8 to 10 years, the threat has only escalated, sparking fresh appeals for long-term flood protection measures.
Residents of Borguli and the wider Monggu Banggo area, part of the 39th Assembly Constituency, are now urging the government to construct a permanent road-cum-flood control bund along the Siang’s left bank, extending from Sigar to Mer village—a stretch of approximately 20 to 30 kilometers.
“Only a comprehensive and permanent flood control solution can safeguard our agricultural livelihood and secure the region’s future,” the farmers’ group affirmed, calling attention to the urgent need for government action to protect this vulnerable community.
