HT Correspondent
SIVASAGAR, June 10: A fresh erosion threat from the Brahmaputra and Desang rivers may slice away a large chunk of Ligiribari Mising Gaon in Desangmukh when the Brahmaputra’s water level rises during the rainy season. This is what local villagers in the area fear.
Last year’s erosion triggered panic among local residents. During that period, Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika inspected the repair work in the area. About half a kilometre of geo-bag laying was completed. However, it appears that fresh erosion may begin from the point where the repair work ended.
Related Posts:
Noted poet Ganga Mohan Mili of Aphala Gaon and Manoj Mili, a cultural activist from Ligiribari, told this correspondent on Tuesday that a comprehensive erosion protection plan is needed from Desangmukh to Dikhowmukh to safeguard riverine villages such as Ligiribari, Aphala, Majorbari, Saraipora, Mamol Garbhaga, Garbhaga and Alichiga.
Besides these villages, the historic Ramkha Peeth Dewalay in Deogharia and Ajan Peer Dargah in Saraguri Chapori may also come under threat from the Brahmaputra.
According to Bipin Panging, president of the Mising Mimmak Kebang (MMK), erosion by the Brahmaputra has completely changed the landscape of the area. He said that when he was a child, it took his elders nearly two hours on foot to reach the river, but now the riverfront is right at the doorstep of Ligiribari and Aphala.
“The government has been spending over Rs 1 crore annually on average on superficial protection measures,” said Rajani Panging, a social worker. “However, permanent measures to protect Desangmukh have yet to materialise.”
A resident, requesting anonymity, alleged that some unscrupulous persons damage the costly porcupine bunds and geo-bags laid in the area and carry away the materials. He said the Water Resources Department needs to maintain strict vigil over the vulnerable stretch.
