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Change in danger mark in Dibrugarh mooted

By AJit patowary

GUWAHATI, June 21 � The State Water Resources Department (WRD) has proposed revision of the Brahmaputra danger level (DL) for Dibrugarh town so far as the flood vulnerability of the town is concerned. The town has at present 104.24 metres set as the DL for the river.

Sources in the WRD told this newspaper that the present DL for the Brahmaputra in this Upper Assam town has virtually proved to be the warning level (WL) of the river at that site. In fact, the river needs its DL to be raised by around one metre at the site.

The WRD has asked its field level officers to conduct a contour survey for the purpose, said the sources.

It needs mention here that a smart shower in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra raises the water level of the river above the DL in Dibrugarh town even in the month of April. The mighty river has now developed a tendency of flowing above the DL in this town almost all through the rainy season every year. This tendency of the river has become more discernable these days.

Though the Brahmaputra is flowing above the DL in Dibrugarh along with the Jia-Bharali (at NT Road crossing) and it is, along with six of its tributaries, maintaining a rising trend at places, the overall flood situation in the State has improved, barring the districts of Karmiganj and Cachar.

WRD sources said that basically due to the Barak and the Kushiyara rivers, the flood situation in Cachar and Karimganj districts has remained grim. The Barak is flowing above the DL at Annapurna Ghat (19.95 metres) and the Kushiyara is also flowing above the DL at Karimganj (16.20 metres). Sources said that despite the Kushiyara flowing above the DL at Karimganj town, the South Assam town is still safe.

On the top of the above factors, the breaches that occurred on the embankments of the rivers of the two districts this rainy season, have also added to the flood-related woes of their people, said the sources.

During this year, seven breaches occurred on the embankments of the rivers of Karimganj district. Of them, five breaches occurred on the left bank embankment of the Shingla river and two breaches occurred on the left bank embankment of the Longai river.

Five breaches occurred on the embankments of the Cachar district rivers this year. Of them, one breach each on the left bank embankments of the Rukni and Sonai rivers, one breach on the right bank embankment of the Barak river and two breaches on the left bank embankment of the Madhura river occurred during the current flood season, said the sources.

During the current flood season, the Brahmaputra has breached its left bank embankment at one point at Jaleswar in Goalpara district.

It needs mention here that of the 41 breaches occurred on the embankments of the rivers of the State last flood season, only three breaches remained to be closed. These unplugged breaches include one each on the right bank of the Ranganadi and on the left bank of the Singara in Lakhimpur district.

In Bongaigaon district, one breach on the Aie embankment remained to be closed due to the failure of the Revenue Department to understand the link between earth works and anti-erosion measures in a proposal sent to it by the district administration, said the sources.

Now sanction has been granted as per the proposal and tender has been called for to execute the work, sources said.

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