Dibrugarh Press Club visits erosion-hit Brahmaputra banks, reviews protection work

Dibrugarh, Dec 8: A delegation from the Dibrugarh Press Club (DPC) visited the Brahmaputra’s erosion-hit banks at Nagaghuli on Saturday, taking stock of the extensive destruction resulting from more than a decade of steady erosion and examining the protection work in progress.

At the site, officials from the Water Resources Department briefed the team on multiple anti-erosion projects being executed along an 800-metre vulnerable stretch upstream of Nagaghuli. The ongoing protection strategy combines advanced C-type geo-bag screening with traditional RCC porcupine structures to counter the river’s strong erosive currents.

The DPC delegation, led by president Manash Jyoti Dutta and general secretary Ripunjoy Das, travelled by boat with departmental engineers to inspect the threatened sections of the riverbank. The visit provided the media team with a clear view of both the extent of land loss and the status of the interventions designed to stabilize the area.

A key element of the current protection work is the deployment of geo-textile bags produced by SKAPS Industries, a geosynthetics manufacturer operating under an India-USA collaboration. Officials explained that these large, sand-filled American-made geo bags are being strategically positioned to absorb the impact of flowing water and strengthen the riverbank’s weakest points.

They also informed reporters that similar erosion-control activities are being carried out along the Brahmaputra between Maijan and Mohanaghat, forming an extended defence line for Dibrugarh. Emphasising the urgency, officials noted that work continues round the clock throughout the winter to ensure the city is better protected before the onset of monsoon floods and renewed erosion.

The broader protection initiative also includes the reinforcement of river spurs near Dibrugarh. This network consists of 8 stone spurs, 3 permeable spurs and 47 wooden spurs, all placed to divert the river’s current and reduce its erosive force.

By

Staff Correspondent