GUWAHATI, July 22 - Altogether 19 breaches, including two �public cuts�, occurred in the embankments of the rivers in eight districts of the State during the current flood season. Erosion has been found to be a major cause for the breaches suffered by the embankments this time, said highly placed sources in the State�s Water Resources Department (WRD) here.
Two of these breaches were found to have occurred in the Brahmaputra embankments in Mikirgaon area of Morigaon district and in Jadavpur area of Barpeta district, sources said.
Erosion led to eight breaches in the embankments. While the embankment on the Brahmaputra suffered a breach in Mikirgaon area of Morigaon district due to erosion, the Katakhal embankment in Hailakandi district also suffered a breach due to the same factor. The embankments on Singla and Longai in Karimganj district suffered two and one erosion-triggered breaches respectively.
The two breaches in the Ranganadi embankment that resulted in the flood havoc in Lakhimpur, were mainly caused by erosion. Erosion was also responsible for the breach that occurred in the embankment on the Golandi in Baksa district.
The highest number of breaches in the embankments occurred in Majuli district, although eight of them that occurred on the Malapindha Mahial embankments on the Subansiri, are smaller ones.
One �public cut� has been reported near the Kekorikata Sluice Gate in the island district, and another in the embankment on the Burhadiya in Nadla area in Nalbari district, sources said. The term �public cut� is used by WRD engineers to describe a cut in an embankment made by nearby people in order to release accumulated rainwater. Sources maintained that except the Brahmaputra embankment at Mikirgaon, which was triggered by erosion, none of the embankments, which were strengthened this year, suffered any damage under the impact of the floodwaters. The Brahmaputra eroded an around 500-metre wide area of its bank at Mikirgaon within a very short span of time and this resulted in the collapse of the embankment there, sources said.
In the case of the Katakhal embankment, overtopping of the structure by floodwaters was also found to be a facilitating factor, together with the riverbank erosion, for the collapse of the dyke.
In Majuli district, the Subansiri also overtopped its embankments, while in the Jadavpur area of Barpeta district, the Brahmaputra embankment slumped down suddenly, when the river was in high spate.
This phenomenon is attributed to the seepage from the Brahmaputra, which was in high spate, to the deep wetland located just near the embankment at that point. Because of the presence of this water body, the seepage from the Brahmaputra could not be traced and this ultimately resulted in the collapse of the embankment, sources said.
Breaches also occurred in some Panchayat dykes, Agriculture Department dykes, Town Committee dykes and Irrigation Department dykes, which are not placed under the WRD. Moreover, vast areas that are not protected by the embankments were also inundated by floodwaters in various parts of the State, sources added.
GUWAHATI, July 22 - Altogether 19 breaches, including two �public cuts�, occurred in the embankments of the rivers in eight districts of the State during the current flood season. Erosion has been found to be a major cause for the breaches suffered by the embankments this time, said highly placed sources in the State�s Water Resources Department (WRD) here.
Two of these breaches were found to have occurred in the Brahmaputra embankments in Mikirgaon area of Morigaon district and in Jadavpur area of Barpeta district, sources said.
Erosion led to eight breaches in the embankments. While the embankment on the Brahmaputra suffered a breach in Mikirgaon area of Morigaon district due to erosion, the Katakhal embankment in Hailakandi district also suffered a breach due to the same factor. The embankments on Singla and Longai in Karimganj district suffered two and one erosion-triggered breaches respectively.
The two breaches in the Ranganadi embankment that resulted in the flood havoc in Lakhimpur, were mainly caused by erosion. Erosion was also responsible for the breach that occurred in the embankment on the Golandi in Baksa district.
The highest number of breaches in the embankments occurred in Majuli district, although eight of them that occurred on the Malapindha Mahial embankments on the Subansiri, are smaller ones.
One �public cut� has been reported near the Kekorikata Sluice Gate in the island district, and another in the embankment on the Burhadiya in Nadla area in Nalbari district, sources said. The term �public cut� is used by WRD engineers to describe a cut in an embankment made by nearby people in order to release accumulated rainwater. Sources maintained that except the Brahmaputra embankment at Mikirgaon, which was triggered by erosion, none of the embankments, which were strengthened this year, suffered any damage under the impact of the floodwaters. The Brahmaputra eroded an around 500-metre wide area of its bank at Mikirgaon within a very short span of time and this resulted in the collapse of the embankment there, sources said.
In the case of the Katakhal embankment, overtopping of the structure by floodwaters was also found to be a facilitating factor, together with the riverbank erosion, for the collapse of the dyke.
In Majuli district, the Subansiri also overtopped its embankments, while in the Jadavpur area of Barpeta district, the Brahmaputra embankment slumped down suddenly, when the river was in high spate.
This phenomenon is attributed to the seepage from the Brahmaputra, which was in high spate, to the deep wetland located just near the embankment at that point. Because of the presence of this water body, the seepage from the Brahmaputra could not be traced and this ultimately resulted in the collapse of the embankment, sources said.
Breaches also occurred in some Panchayat dykes, Agriculture Department dykes, Town Committee dykes and Irrigation Department dykes, which are not placed under the WRD. Moreover, vast areas that are not protected by the embankments were also inundated by floodwaters in various parts of the State, sources added.
