The local villagers of Borguli in Mebo circle in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh have taken anti-erosion measures in order to protect their fertile cropland from the grip of mighty river Siang.
The youths of the village took up erection of spurs using locally available cane, bamboo and grasses to control the flow of waters at Taleng Bereng portion of river Siang on its left bank near Borguli village. But, the effort of the local villagers has become in vain as high tides of the river washed away the spurs and continuing erosion.
It may be recalled that erosion posed by river Siang is taking serious turn on its left bank as 10 families have already become homeless at Serum village under the subdivision.
The river has gripped several acres of grassland at Sigar, Borguli, Serum, Namsing and Mer villages on its left bank within the last couple of months, but no effective anti-erosion measure has been initiated by the authority so far.
Meanwhile, local MLA-cum-Arunachal Chief Minister’s adviser Lombo Tayeng along with water resource engineers of the district visited the erosion affected site and reported the Government about the disastrous situation in his constituency.
The MLA also requested Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu to depute an inter-ministerial team with experts to study the situation and then take up remedial measures.
Subsequently, State’s secretary of Disaster Management Department Bidol Tayeng accompanied by department officials visited the flood and erosion hit sites of Borguli, Seram, Namsing, Ralling and Sigar villages of Mebo and taken stock their lost and damages posed by the river.
According to sources, the State Government has sanctioned an amount of Rs 15 lakh under the Disaster Relief Fund for immediate relief and rehabilitation of 10 affected families of Seram village in Mebo circle, who rendered homeless by the erosion caused of Siang river on it left bank.
The local villagers say that experts have suggested them construction of boulder spurs at every crucial junctions of the rivers to prevent further erosion by Siang water in the area.