NORTH LAKHIMPUR, April 26 � Massive erosion by Gabhoru river is posing a serious threat to life and property in a wide area under Laluk mouza in Lakhimpur district.
With pre-monsoon rains lashing the region, the increased water levels of the river has started eroding a long stretch of land under Sonapur area of Laluk affecting the Gormur-Dhekiajuli PWD road constructed under the PMGSY scheme. The panicky villagers say that if the road is damaged or breached by the erosion, people of twenty nearby villages would be affected.
It may be recalled that the flood-prone Gabhoru river destroyed pucca households of three families of Gormur-Sonapur village last year besides affecting a number of kuccha households by breaching its embankment. The local residents resent that the concerned authorities have not taken any steps to take anti-erosion measures for the affected embankment, roads and dykes during the dry season this year and fear that in the coming monsoon the river will flood their areas again. The villagers from Gormur block, Sonapur, Kongari Chuburi and Panika have demanded inspection of the erosion by the Gabhoru river by highest authority of Lakhimpur administration and a speedy mitigation of their problem.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Bihpuria, the public demanded speeding up of the embankment strengthening work off the Dikrong river before the monsoon sets in. The Rs 105 crore Central Government funded project of strengthening the embankments of Dikrong river started last year on a war footing from Harmutty-Banhbari to Panchali. But the momentum of this work receded, allege the local villagers as the time passed by. They have demanded speedy completion of the strengthening work of the 50-year-old Dikrong river embankment.
