Guwahati: Assam Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary visited the erosion-hit areas of Kokradanga in south Salamara-Mankachhar district on Tuesday.
South Salmara-Mankachar district of Assam is once again facing the fury of the Brahmaputra, as severe erosion continues to eat into vast stretches of land, displacing families and endangering livelihoods.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The mighty Brahmaputra has been aggressively eroding riverbanks in the district for years, but the situation has worsened this monsoon season.
Many families in villages like Kokradanga and its adjoining areas have lost cultivable land and homesteads, forcing many to migrate.
Farmers say fertile croplands have been washed away, aggravating rural poverty in one of Assam’s most vulnerable districts.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Patowary assured people that the state government was committed to mitigating the crisis.
He stressed that erosion caused was not merely an environmental issue but a humanitarian challenge, affecting housing, agriculture and public infrastructure.
“The government is taking both short-term protective steps and exploring long-term scientific solutions,” Patowary said highlighting the ongoing coordination with the Water Resources Department.
Experts have long warned that erosion in South Salmara-Mankachar, located along the Bangladesh border, is among the most severe in Assam.
Unlike seasonal flooding, which recedes, erosion leads to permanent land loss, shrinking the district’s already fragile geography. Satellite data and ground reports suggest that large tracts of land in this border belt have been wiped out in the last three decades.
The minister’s visit comes amid increasing pressure on the government to intensify riverbank protection projects like boulder pitching, geo-bag installations and embankment strengthening.
Civil society groups argue that without a long-term Brahmaputra management plan, temporary measures will provide little relief.
Residents of Kokradanga expressed relief at the minister’s initiative and anxiety about the uncertain future. As the monsoon advances, fears of further erosion loom large.
With erosion displacing thousands across Assam annually, environmentalists emphasize the urgent need for a comprehensive Brahmaputra River Basin Management Strategy involving advanced hydrological studies, interstate coordination and central government support.
Unless tackled with urgency, they warn, erosion may create a silent humanitarian crisis in Assam’s border districts.