Flood forum flags severe riverbank erosion in West Saikhowa, seeks measures

Doomdooma, Dec 19: The Dibrugarh-Tinsukia District Flood and Erosion Resistance Struggle Forum has expressed serious concern over the lack of preventive measures against the riverbank erosion along a nearly 800-metre stretch near the Canopus Eco Tourist Camp in the Hatighuli area of West Saikhowa under Tinsukia district.

During a field visit led by the Forum’s president, Binod Kedia, the team observed that while embankment works using sand-filled geo-bags are progressing at full pace in the highly erosion-prone Milonpur, Felai and Naokata areas, no steps have yet been initiated by the Water Resources Department to address the alarming erosion close to the Canopus Eco Tourist Camp.

The Forum pointed out that major erosion during the last monsoon had led to the formation of a large depression resembling a pond in the area.

Experts have warned that with the onset of the next monsoon, the inflow of water into this depression could further aggravate the situation, posing a serious threat to nearby areas.

It was recalled that embankment works using geo-bags had earlier been carried out along a stretch of around 1,200 metres.

However, most of the geo-bags were washed away during the last flood. Although this stretch is in urgent need of repair, the absence of any initiative from the Water Resources Department has left the local residents deeply worried.

According to the locals, unless repair work is undertaken along an approximately 1,100-metre stretch near the camp and erosion-control measures using geo-bags or geo-tubes are implemented along an 800-metre stretch during the dry season, erosion-control efforts in the downstream Felai-Naokata area would prove ineffective, regardless of the number of geo-bags used.

The Forum and the residents have jointly appealed to the Water Resources Department to immediately begin erosion prevention works near the tourist camp.