BARPETA, Oct 15 � The Barpeta district committee of the Nikhil Bharat Krishak Sabha has expressed serious concern over the unabated erosion caused by the Brahmaputra and Beki rivers in Barpeta district and sought adequate relief and rehabilitation for the people affected by the natural calamity.
The Krishak Sabha organised a special conference at the Tarun Phookan Hall here on Tuesday to discuss the issue and pressurise the Government to fulfil its demands in this regard. Later, a memorandum was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Barpeta.
The memorandum stated that recurring floods and erosion caused by the Beki and Brahmaputra rivers flowing through the district have caused immense loss to the people. Thousands of bighas of land and houses have been washed away due to continuous erosion. It added that the Beki has been creating havoc at Odalguri and Barpeta under the Kharija Bijni mouza, Elenari, Simalumari, Khagrabari, Safakamar and Domni under the Gobardhana mouza, Guileja under the Rupsi mouza, Sonpura, Balikuri Colony, Daukmari, Balikuri, Kamarpara Bardanga and Khapakuchi and Talakata, Salbari, Moinbari, Tarakandi, Balajan and Saorarbhitha under the Baghbar mouza and Sonabari, Jaurimari and Balikuri under the Titapani mouza.
Similarly, the onslaught of the Brahmaputra has been going on at Chenimari, Bahari, Bhogerpar and Gafulbari under the Chenga mouza and Pamdongra and Dighirpam under the Mandia mouza. Lakhs of people have been affected due to the continuous erosion caused by the two rivers.
The Krishak Sabha unit alleged that though the Government has arranged for rehabilitation and allotment of land to the affected people, a large number of families have been deprived of the rehabilitation scheme. As a result, the affected people have to live on government land, roads and embankments in miserable conditions.
The memorandum regretted that the Government has not done anything concrete to check the floods and erosion in spite of repeated appeals. It alleged that the devastating flood this year was the result of the negligence of the authorities concerned in plugging the breached portion of the embankment near Gafulbari.
The Krishak Sabha had warned the Government in advance about the impending danger and if the authorities had heeded it, the loss could have been minimised. The administration is directly responsible for the loss due to the floods this year, the Krishak Sabha maintained.
The memorandum demanded the recognition of flood and erosion as a national problem, permanent solution to this problem and proper rehabilitation of the affected people. It also demanded the supply of Rabi crop seeds and fertilizers to the farmers free of cost.
