The residents of Rohmoria feel that government failed to protect them from constant erosion, which devastated their lives and property. Rohmoria under Lahowal constituency in Dibrugarh district has been affected by the constant erosion which engulfed many bighas of agriculture land during the past several years.
The entire Rohmoria region since 1997 has been battling with erosion which created havoc in the lives and property of the people. The erosion has so far wiped out 38 revenue villages, eight schools, one PWD road and one sericulture farm.
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Nearly, 2,000 families have been displaced and many bighas of land were gobbled up by mighty Brahmaputra. Subsequently, a number of anti- erosion measures were taken up in the area but with little success.
The people of Rohmoria have faced lots of hardship and many people have rehabilitated to the safer place to save their life.
Ghonen Gogoi, a resident of Rohmoria expressed his dissatisfaction on the role of government in protecting Rohmoria.
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“For many years we are battling with erosion which has brought miseries for the people of our village. Many people lost their agriculture land and become landless. People of the area hope that this time the government would release the pending fund but till date no step has been taken in this regard,” Gogoi said.
In 2015, the government sanctioned Rs 78.48 crore under the Integrated Flood and River Banks Erosion Management for laying Geo bags on the 6.4- km stretch from Gorpora to Bogoritolia.
“Why we are neglected. Our agriculture land and our property have been eroded and we are living in constant fear. Government assured us that the pending amount will be released and very soon the work of geo bags will start on the 6.4 km stretch but till date nothing has been done. Why the government don’t understand our problem,” a resident of Rohmoria asked.
Talking to Northeast Now, Binod Kedia, president of Flood Erosion Resistance Struggle Forum (FERSF) Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district said on last year the 6th Investment Clearance committee had recommended the central government to clear the pending fund.
“Recently we had a meeting with the chairman of Brahmaputra Board and Secretary of the Water Resource department for the release of the fund but no outcome has come out from the meeting,” Kedia said.
Kedia added recently at Bogoritolia a 200 metres work was done by the state government under State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) fund.
“But the 200 metres anti-erosion works will not enough to stop the erosion at Bogoritolia. Every year huge chunks of land were eroded into river. To stop marauding erosion government will have to release the pending fund,” Kedia said.
In 1999, FERSF was formed, which is spearheading the Save Rohmoria campaign. In 1990, erosion started in Rohmoria and caused major devastation.
After huge protest by the people of Rohmoria in 2011, the government had sanctioned Rs 60 Crore for laying Geo bags in 2.6 km stretch from Gorpora to Kasuani for controlling erosion.