Dibrugarh hit by sudden riverbank erosion; panic spreads as geo-bags fail to hold
Even concrete walls failed to withstand the force, raising doubts about the long-term effectiveness of existing protection measures
Dibrugarh, Oct 8: Sudden erosion along the Brahmaputra at Kacharighat has panicked Dibrugarh residents, with about 40 ft of land lost in length and 70 ft in width within half an hour.
What has unnerved residents is the nature of the collapse; unlike gradual soil loss, the entire stretch of land gave way to the river in an instant on Tuesday.
Local residents expressed deep concern over the recurring threat.
“I have been living in Dibrugarh for the past 12 years. The river was far from our settlement earlier, but now it’s dangerously close. After yesterday’s incident, we couldn’t sleep,” a resident told the press.
The multi-crore geo-bag project, designed to prevent such erosion, has once again come under scrutiny as several bags were washed away by the river’s strong current.
“This is the only levee protecting us. Officials are sending geo-bags again, but I feel the government should employ advanced technology. The mighty Brahmaputra cannot be tamed with geo-bags,” the local added.
Even concrete walls failed to withstand the force, raising doubts about the long-term effectiveness of existing protection measures.
District Commissioner Bikram Kairi, who visited the site promptly, said, “The Water Resources Department has initiated mitigation efforts using sand bags and geo-bags, which will continue through the night. Once this phase is complete, we will also install porcupines for additional support.”
He added that senior engineers had been called for a site inspection.
Dibrugarh MLA Prashanta Phukan described the situation as “sudden, like an earthquake”.
He added, “Within minutes, the water level rose by almost nine metres. We assure that immediate steps are being taken. Geo-bags and porcupines are being deployed to control the erosion before it reaches the mainland.”
An engineer overseeing the operation said, “Around 3 pm, the river engulfed about 40 feet long and 70 feet wide of land. A house and several old geo-bags went under, but we immediately began restoration work using new ones.”
The Brahmaputra continues to inch dangerously closer to settlements, defying repeated attempts to restrain it and underscoring the urgent need for long-term, resilient solutions.