HT Correspondent
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DHUBRI, March 2: In a remarkable display of unity and determination, villagers under Naskara Jamadarhat Block, located on the southern bank of Dhubri district, have successfully constructed a 1,300-meter-long embankment to protect their croplands and human habitation from the devastating floods of the Brahmaputra River.
The extraordinary initiative, carried out by the villagers of Nichinpur without any government funding, has drawn widespread appreciation from people across Assam. In 2024, the Brahmaputra breached large sections of land in Beldubi area at Nichinpur, submerging thousands of hectares of fertile cropland and residential areas.
The revenue village Nichinpur falls under the Birsing-Jarua constituency in Dhubri district has been severely affected by aggressive river erosion over the years in the face of natural calamities. Determined to prevent further destruction, the villagers of Beldubi, Nichinpur, Medortari, Chirakuti, and Dingdinga Gaon Panchayats came together to form the Nichinpur River Bank Protection Committee (Nichinpur Nadir-Par Suraksha Band Committee) to take initiative to construct an embankment.
What sets this initiative apart is that the entire project is carried out without any government assistance or funds. The committee took on the daunting task by appointing private engineers to oversee the technical aspects while constructing the embankment two kilometers upstream from Bura Buri Dham in Kulamuya Choto Nichinpur village to prevent further land erosion, safeguard their livelihoods.
Rahim Uddin Ahmed president of the committee said that, the villagers pooled their own resources, gathered donation and volunteered their labor to construct the embankment before the flood season arrived. Heavy machinery like JCBs and tractors were provided free of cost by locals. Sand was collected from river-deposited land (chars). Boulders were purchased by the committee to reinforce a 300-meter stretch with boulder pitching.
Through sheer hard work and collective effort, the community is successfully constructed the embankment, ensuring better flood protection for the future, 300 metre boulder pitching work is on process after completion Geobags will be placed throughout the embankment. The successful completion of this project will set an inspiring example of self-reliance in rural infrastructure development said the committee secretary, Tarachand Ali.
In an era when many communities rely on government intervention for disaster management, the villagers of Nichinpur and surrounding areas have shown that proactive and collaborative efforts can lead to lasting solutions. Locals hope that the embankment will prevent further land erosion, safeguard their livelihoods, and encourage other flood-prone communities to take similar initiatives without external support.
