Dibrugarh: For the past few days, erosion by the Brahmaputra river has been unabated in the Mohanaghat area of Dibrugarh town in upper Assam. The massive erosion has washed away several houses in the area in recent years.
The erosion by the Brahmaputra River has been causing extensive damage in the area. The Dibrugarh Town Protection Dyke (DTP) is just a few meters away from the river.
“We are having sleepless nights for the past several days due to the ongoing erosion in our area. We request the Water Resources Department to take immediate steps to control the erosion,” said a local resident.
“Every year due to erosion, we lose a huge chunk of land, Already, huge bighas of land have been washed away in the river. We have been facing erosion problems for many years, but no permanent solution has been taken,” the resident said.
“It has been seen that geo-bags were placed in the erosion-affected area, but it would not solve the problem permanently. We want a scientific and permanent solution,” said another resident.
“In 2020, due to massive erosion, a total of six houses were washed away in the Mohanaghat area. Now, we are facing a similar situation,” the resident said.
Meanwhile, the Assam Water Resources Department has started anti-erosion measures to stop the ongoing erosion by placing gro-bags.
Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan inspected the ongoing work of the Water Resources Department to combat the erosion.
It may be mentioned that the great earthquake of August 15, 1950, measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale, altered the course of the Brahmaputra and lifted the bed level of the river in Dibrugarh by several meters.
As a result, the Brahmaputra bed now lies several feet higher than the ground level of Dibrugarh town. Most of the time, the Brahmaputra river flows much higher than the ground level.
“The DTP dyke is the only barrier. If the erosion continues, it can affect the dyke, and the people of Dibrugarh town will face huge problems,” said a local.