Amar Asom 2-8-2012 :

After deluge, Majuli faced with receding landmass :

Jorhat (Aug 1): After the deluge, Majuli, the world’s largest inhabited river island and hub of Vaishnavite culture, is now plagued by severe erosion. After the Brahmaputra waters receded, erosion has taken a serious turn in recent weeks, with the river gobbling up vast tracts of the island’s already-receding landmass.

More than 500 families have already been rendered homeless in the recent floods in Salmora area of the island. Massive siltation after the flood has forced people of the area to shift their homes to other locations. Residents of the area have already turned down the government’s proposal to rehabilitate them at the chaporis of the island.

Floodwaters also entered the island through the breached section of the embankment at Sonowal Kachari in Upper Majuli, inundating several villages and threatening the existence of the island. Several areas of west Majuli were also inundated in the floods. With the residents yet to recover from the damage of the floods, they are now facing a fresh threat from severe erosion at the island. The Brahmaputra is flowing just 30 metres from the Bengena-ati Satra, one of the oldest in Majuli, threatening its very existence.

According to local residents, severe erosion had been witnessed during the recent weeks at Bamungaon, threatening Auniati and Natun Kamalabari Satra too. Erosion has also been reported at Salmora, Besamora, Puhordia, Palasani, Pokimari, Bhakat Chapori and Dakhinpat.

Majuli sub-divisional officer (civil) Sonaram Khanikar told Seven Sisters Post that he had already informed his higher authorities about the erosion. “Although the total area affected by erosion has not been ascertained, about 300 families have been affected by the recent erosion. The administration has already rehabilitated 56 families at Sakala Chapori in Dakhin Ahatguri,” he said. He said that erosion had posed a greater threat than the floods. “I have requested the Brahmaputra Board to start work at the affected areas immediately. The situation may be brought under control, if immediate measures are undertaken,” he said.

On the other hand, measures undertaken to protect Majuli from flood and erosion by the Brahmaputra Board in Halmora and Besamora areas have now affected the downstream areas of Mouchapori and Nimatighat. Due to the protection measures undertaken in these areas, the Sumoimari stream passing through Majuli has been blocked due to silt deposits. This led to the flow of excess water through the main stream of the Brahmaputra.

Officials of the water resources department said that Sumoimari stream carried more than one-third of the Brahmaputra waters. “Due to excess flow of water through the main stream of the Brahmaputra passing by Nimatighat, the stream has become deeper, bringing threat to Mouchapori and Nimatighat areas,” officials said.

Although the water resources department has prepared a detailed project report to protect Nimatighat and Mouchapori areas, delay in sanction of the protection works has led to severe erosion in these areas.

(News from Seven Sisters Post)

-Abakash Majuli

Brahmaputra perilously close to Majuli village - Island sends erosion SOS :

WASIM RAHMAN

A damaged house. Picture by UB Photos

Jorhat, July 31: The Majuli administration has sent out SOS calls to Dispur and the Brahmaputra Board as massive erosion is threatening several villages under different gaon panchayats on the island.

Sources in the Majuli sub-divisional administration said Puhardia village under Kamalabari gaon panchayat was the worst hit. The Brahmaputra, which was 500 metres away from the village a few months ago, is now only about 200 metres away.

Majuli’s recent floods have augmented the erosion because the rising water level softened the riverbank. Other villages like Palasani, Pokimari, Sumai-mari, Bhakat Chapori and Sunia Chapori under Kamalabari and Dakhin Kamalabari gaon panchayats have also been severely affected, the sources said.

Erosion is also threatening the Bengenati and Auniati xatras, two of the oldest xatras on the island. People of the affected areas are urging the administration to take emergency steps to save their land and property.

Majuli sub-divisional officer (Civil) S.R. Khanikar told The Telegraph that after visiting the affected areas, he has sent urgent messages to the Brahmaputra Board and Dispur through the Jorhat district administration. Khanikar said about 40 families of Puhurdia villages have been badly affected.

The SDO said he has urged the Brahmaputra Board officials to immediately start work in the affected areas.

He said he has asked the board to lay porcupine dampers on the riverbank in the affected areas and if work begins immediately, the situation may be brought under control.

Khanikar said there was no need to evacuate people from Puhardia as of now, but if the erosion continues unabated, then such a step might have to be taken. Finding an alternative site to shift the villagers would be a Herculean task because land is scarce here, he added.

Erosion has left 2,097 families homeless. These families have been living in makeshift camps on the banks for the past 15 years, awaiting rehabilitation.

In the latest bout of floods, about 500 families lost their houses in the Salmora area of Majuli. Governor J.B. Patnaik, during his visit to the island, had asked the administration to relocate the families inside or outside the island. He had suggested setting up 10 villages and rehabilitating 50 families in each village.

However, the administration has not been able to find land to relocate the families. Proposals to shift people to chaporis (sandbars) around the island are not accepted by the people, as chaporis are known to sink within a short interval of time.

(News from The Telegraph, Wednesday , August 1 , 2012 )

-Abakash Majuli

Neematighat awaits saviour :

SMITA BHATTACHARYYA

A boat at Neematighat

Jorhat, July 31: The water resources department here has prepared a proposal worth Rs 67 crore to check the heavy erosion by the Brahmaputra at Neematighat on the outskirts of Jorhat.

The proposal will be sent shortly to the Central Water Commission, New Delhi, for sanction.

“Investigations said erosion was particularly heavy near the ghat, making it difficult for the Majuli ferries to dock,” Robin Chandra Bora, executive engineer, water resources department, said.

The heavy erosion is because of the Brahmaputra hitting the bank at almost a 90-degree angle from the Besamora side.

“In the last couple of days, the erosion has been less in the Neematighat area, but prior to that it was quite heavy and ferries had to shift from one part to the other in order to dock. However, the embankment protecting the town has not been eroded,” Bora said.

Sources said the Brahmaputra, which had earlier been flowing 200 metres away from the embankment, was now only about 50 metres away, and if the embankment came under threat, Jorhat town would be flooded.

“The Brahmaputra Board has given its observations on a few technical issues and these are being incorporated before sending it to the Central Water Commission for sanction,” he said.

The proposal envisages a porcupine screen downstream to divert the flow of the river and boulder pitching along the bank, to prevent erosion.

The Neemati-Hatihal anti-erosion project in the area was completed four years ago at a cost of Rs 38 crore, but the bund now faces the threat of erosion.

Started in 1996, it comprises two bullheads (pointed extensions of the spur) and three spurs, spread over a 13km stretch on the riverbank.http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6808711883118829693#editor/target=post;postID=1671445565893625111

A source in the department had earlier said a piecemeal approach instead of an all-encompassing central plan had resulted in the problem being diverted from one area to another.

The source also said there had been a substantial increase of water pressure in the Brahmaputra channel flowing by Neematighat, because of an increase in the volume of water in the channel.

This was because of the anti-erosion measures, which had been executed on the bank opposite Neematighat, on the southern side of Majuli, in the past few years.

(News from The Telegraph, Wednesday , August 1 , 2012 )

-Abakash Majuli