GUWAHATI, Aug 31 � After 16 days, the road link to the Silapathar-Jonai and Likabali areas of Dhemaji district, via National Highway-52 was restored with the opening of the about 300-metre-long subway constructed by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) at Gainadi area, this morning for vehicular traffic.
One more good news has poured in from the flood-ravaged district. The rivers of the district this time deposited some amount of silt on the paddy fields, besides sand. These rivers have become notorious for their making the paddy fields barren by depositing thick layers of sand.
The road link to this part of the district and the West and East Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh was snapped as the floodwater of Gai River washed away about 200 metre long stretch of the NH at Gainadi area on August 15.
However, despite repeated request from the district and the State administrations, the NF Railway authorities are yet to initiate steps to restore the breached portion of the rail track at the Gainadi area. The Gai River breached about 80 metres of the rail track in the area that day.
Official sources said that efforts are on to permanently repair the breach portion of the NH-52 by making the river take its original course. The river deviated from its original course by about 200 metres towards Tokobari and other villages of Sisibargaon Revenue Circle area.
Meanwhile, the number of flood-related death toll has shot up to eight in the district. The dead have been identified as Moina Deori (12), Trishna Lagachu (one and half year) Robin Narzary (35), Rupa Duorah (30), Mula Chutiya (65), Gamin Kuli (65), Tuleswar Chutiya (71) and Ratul Chutiya (23)
Four relief camps are still operating in the Sisibargaon Revenue Circle of the district with 2,700 inmates at Sisibargaon College, Sisibargaon HS School, Sisibargaon MV School and the Sisibargaon Tourist Lodge.
Rivers like Gai, Jiadhol, Simen, Bahir Jonai, Lali, etc, deposited 50 per cent sand and 40 per cent to 50 per cent silt on the paddy fields of the district measuring about 4,700 hectares. The Gai River carried more silt this time compared to the previous years. The Gai deposited silt on around 1,500 hectares of paddy field.
Farmers, whose paddy fields are silted this time, have approached the District Agriculture authorities seeking seeds and saplings of short-duration varieties of paddy.
In the district, around 8,000 hectares of farmland are found to be cultivable now. But to transplant the paddy saplings, one or two spells of rain would be required. The dry spell will also affect crop yield, said the official sources.
Stress is hence laid on growing pre-Rabi crops like black gram, mustard seeds, lentil, pea, potato and other vegetables, pumpkin, gourd, bottle gourd etc, sources said.
It needs mention here that the farmland areas on which the rivers deposit sand become cultivable after three to five years' time, while the areas on which sand and silt are deposited, become cultivable within three years and areas where silt is deposited, become cultivable after a few months, said the agricultural scientists working in the district.
The Agriculture Department has submitted a proposal to the Disaster Management Department of the State to convert an area of about 500 hectares of the above 8,000 hectares of farmland into pre-Rabi crop area. Another proposal is also submitted to the Disaster Management Department for growing groundnut on an area of about 10 hectares as a pilot project, said the sources.
Meanwhile, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) general secretary Akhil Gogoi demanded in a press release here today one year's relief to the flood-affected Dhemaji people.
A team of KMSS members, led by Gogoi, visited the flood-ravaged areas of the district today. The KMSS has said, referring to the official data, that the floods this time damaged 97,079 hectares of crop land, affected 247 villages and a population of 1, 39,149.
