North Lakhimpur: Large parts of western Lakhimpur district remain inundated as rising waters of the Brahmaputra have placed a crucial embankment at Bonpuroi–Jamuguri under severe stress, prompting emergency protection measures by the Water Resources Department.
According to sources in the Lakhimpur district administration, a nearly 120-metre stretch of the Bonpuroi–Jamuguri embankment developed cracks on Tuesday night due to rising river levels and the strong currents of the Brahmaputra. The vulnerable section has since been under constant monitoring amid fears of a breach.
Officials of the Water Resources Department have launched round-the-clock restoration and reinforcement work. Emergency measures include strengthening the embankment with additional protective layers, geo-bags, and porcupine structures to withstand the strong river current.
The Bonpuroi–Jamuguri embankment is considered a vital flood protection structure for a large part of western Lakhimpur and the western part of Biswanath district.
The stretch was identified as a high-priority component under the Climate Resilient Brahmaputra Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Project, funded by the Asian Development Bank and implemented by the Water Resources Department, Government of Assam.
The Rs 2,908.39-crore project includes launching Type-C geo-bags at the apron, installing wire-netting boxes filled with Type-A bags as toe keys, and laying Type-A geo-bags on trimmed bank slopes with geo-fabric sheets as filter backing to strengthen the riverbank against erosion.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X that he has been constantly monitoring the situation at the embankment and the ongoing protection work.
The Bonpuroi–Jamuguri embankment along the Brahmaputra in Lakhimpur district has remained vulnerable to erosion over the past decade.
Meanwhile, floodwaters continue to affect vast areas of western Lakhimpur following the overflowing of rivers originating in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh. Rivers such as the Pichola and Sesa have inundated villages including Ganak Doloni, Baghargaon, Nidanchowa, Rooptoli, Naoghuli, Phutabhog, Khalihamari, Major Doloni, Bhatmow, and Borthekerabari for several days.
The prolonged inundation has severely affected agriculture, with farmers unable to transplant paddy seedlings during the ongoing cultivation season.
Heavy rainfall has also caused the Dorpang, Dihiri, and Haitho rivers to overflow, flooding large parts of Dhalpur. Among the worst-affected villages are Maghnowa, No. 1 Rongoti, No. 2 Rongoti, and Athanibari, where repeated flooding has left paddy fields buried under layers of silt.
“Our roads are flooded every time there is overnight rain. This has been happening for the last two to three years,” a resident said, expressing concern over the recurring floods and the lack of long-term flood management measures.
With the Brahmaputra continuing to flow at a high level and hill-fed rivers remaining swollen following repeated rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, authorities remain on alert as efforts continue to protect the vulnerable embankment and prevent a major breach.