TEZPUR, July 18 - The commitment of the government to check the long-pending flood and erosion problem in Balipara and Pachmile areas in Sonitpur district has not materialised till date.
It has failed to address the peoples� woes as hundreds of villagers in both the mentioned locations have been rendered homeless following the unchecked flood and erosion problems caused by Brahmaputra�s tributaries like Jia-Bharali, Jorakhor and Mansiri rivers.
Over the last many years, the flood and erosion have been perennial problems in the area caused due to the water flowing down from Arunachal Pradesh through the above-mentioned rivers. More importantly, during the last summer season, vast areas in Balipara, including Udmari, Aragaon, Kamarigaon, Dighali, Patbil and Mulanpukhuri villages, besides Balipara ASEB office, Balipara PHC, various educational institutions, including Balipara Higher Secondary School, Balipara Education Block Office and large areas of Rangapara town under Chardwar Revenue Circle in Sonitpur district had been severely affected following which hundreds of villagers had to lose their homes and hearth.
Although various agencies including organisations like ABSU, AASU and Asom Sena were instrumental in providing food and shelter to those homeless people, the government and the department concerned failed to take proper and necessary measures for the rehabilitation of the affected people for which they are still facing problems.
Meanwhile, rampant erosion by the rivers has posed a serious threat to the very existence of the area. Expressing serious concern over the perennial problem, social worker of the area, Rajnish Saikia, mentioned that although huge amount of funds were sanctioned for checking the erosion problem, due to the misappropriation of funds the problem was not solved.
�We have been demanding the government and State minister Pallab Lochan Das to deal with these issues sincerely, but no positive response has been received from any end which has irked the affected people,� Saikia said, adding that various organisations like Asom Sena and AASU have recently staged a protest against the government�s apathetic attitude towards these issues.
�We urge upon the government to address the problem without any delay for the safety of the indigenous people,� Saikia said.
Moreover, same scenario has been witnessed in the Pachmile area where more than 12 villages have been affected due to Jia-Bharali river�s erosion. Besides houses of the villagers, properties of many schools and government have been eroded by the river. Tezpur University, the major academic institute in the area, is also under threat of erosion by Jia-Bharali river.
Recently expressing their total annoyance, the flood and erosion-affected people registered a strong protest against local MLA Brindaban Goswami by burning his effigy.
