Arunachal: Siang River erosion washes away farmland in Mebo, officials assess damage

Pasighat: A joint team of the district administration and the Water Resources Department (WRD) on Monday inspected the flood-affected Kongkin Wet Rice Cultivation (WRC) fields at Borguli village in Arunachal Pradesh‘s Mebo Sub-Division to assess the damage caused by severe erosion along the Siang River.

According to WRD Assistant Engineer Er. Bani Langkam, continuous monsoon flooding has eroded nearly 600 metres of the riverbank, washing away around 10,800 square metres of farmland as of August 3. The erosion has severely affected the Kongkin WRC fields, which serve as the primary source of livelihood for many farming families in the area.

The inspection team was led by Pasighat ADC (HQ) and Deputy Commissioner-in-Charge Pebika Lego. Other officials present included Mebo ADC Nancy Yirang, Namsing Circle Officer Toimi Tagi, WRD Assistant Engineer Bani Langkam, Borguli Gaon Burah Nogen Yirang, and local residents.

During the visit, the officials reviewed the affected areas and assessed the extent of the damage. They assured villagers that a comprehensive assessment report would be prepared and submitted to the concerned authorities along with proposals for long-term flood control and erosion mitigation measures.

Meanwhile, Mebo MLA Oken Tayeng, who directed the inspection of the flood-hit areas, urged the state government to take immediate action to address the recurring flood and erosion problems along the Siang River.

He said villages such as Borguli, Seram, Namsing, Mer, Gadum and Sigar suffer significant losses every year as floods erode agricultural fields and residential land, affecting the livelihoods of local communities.

Emphasising the need for a permanent solution, Tayeng called for the construction of a flood protection embankment along the Siang River from Sigar village to Mer village. He said the project would require financial and technical support from both the state and central governments to protect people, farmland and infrastructure in the Lower Mebo and Monggu Banggo areas from recurring flood damage.