RAHA, May 28 - A river usually has a yellowish-brown shade due to the sediment it normally carries downstream. But of late a river, which has been known as the lifeline of people of Nagaon, has been taking on a blue-green hue � that is a reflection of the sky � at its Raha stretch allowing curious people to stand near the river and see its waters for a long time.
The colour of water of the river, since Tuesday afternoon, has acquired an aquamarine colour causing concern and curiosity among the people in Raha and authorities concerned. Similarly, despite the rise in water level, the river has become unusually still in nearly seven kilometres stretch from Dighaldari, Raha to Deobali, near Phulaguri.
The sudden change of the river�s colour has also created panic among around 10,000 people who depend on the river for water, fishing and irrigation purposes.
Speaking to this correspondent on the change of colour, Lambudar Nath, a retired school teacher of the area where the river has changed its colour, said, �I am 75 years old now and I have never seen anything like it before. What makes me concerned is the stillness of the river water apart from its colour change. Now, we are in early rainy season, the flow of water should not be like this. I can�t imagine how it has happened or if it had happened before.�
�The Kolong has gradually lost its abundance. People who depend on the river like us could sense it many years back. We cannot figure out how we can live with this degraded environment,� said Kabita Devi, another 55-year-old woman of the area.
A few locals living on the river bank suspect that the construction of a dam or some accident in Kapili river has caused the Kolong�s water in the area to have abnormal deviations � turning blue with presence of acid particles.
Meanwhile, following a direction from Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Jadav Saikia, Raha Circle Officer Priyangka Bania on Thursday afternoon visited the river to take stock of the situation. Accordingly, the State Water Resources Department, Nagaon has also collected samples of the river water for examination.
