DIBRUGARH, Jan 4 � The long pending geo-fabric technology and porcupine spur project along the Brahmaputra bank near Rohmoria was formally inaugurated today by Water Resources Minister Prithibi Majhi at the river bank of Kachuani village within the minister�s home constituency. An amount of Rs 52.36 crore has been earmarked for the project.
Geo textile bags would be pitched along a stretch of 2.6 kilometres near the most eroded site of Kachuani village while 12 lines of RCC porcupine spurs would be laid to divert the channel of the water flow and also to cause siltation along the stretch, Numal Chandra Das, the secretary of the Water Resources department said. The 12 lines of porcupines would be placed from Bogoritolia, covering a total length of seven kilometres.
Although Majhi symbolically inaugurated the project by offering prayers before placing the press stressed concrete (PSC) porcupine spurs today, no mention was made as to when the first geo textile bags would be placed at the site. As learnt from Chief Engineer Ratul Sharma of the Water Resources department, the purchase rates of the geo bags is still under negotiation. Rohmoria Erosion Resistance Struggle Forum (RERSF), a conglomerate body of several villages and organisations of the erosion hit area has welcomed the initiative of the government. Ghana Gogoi, the president of the Forum, however, called upon Majhi to ensure the works� completion in time and without any misuse of funds.
The emergent measures for protection of Rohmoria area using the modern geo-fabric technology was supposed to take off long back. But for reasons known only to the department, no works were started although tendering was over several months back. Majhi while inaugurating the project expressed that the proposed geo-fabric technology would arrest erosion along the banks of the Brahmaputra. He said that the geo fabric technology used in Matmora was the first modern technology in India and second in the world. The pilot project in Matmora in Lakhimpur district is executed by a Malaysian company called Sueskira.
It is to be recalled here that fury of Brahamputra in the past one and a half decade had annexed at least 28 revenue villages, one police station, eight schools,four tea estates, several holdings of small tea plantations, one PWD road and wide stretches of agricultural land. Erosion, particularly during monsoons is at peak. The recent massive ersoion was seen at Nagaghuli, Mohannaghat, and Panbari area.
In today�s inauguration ceremony, Additional Deputy Commissioner M N Doley, local MP Paban Singh Ghatowar, Moran MLA Jibontara Ghatowar and Zilla Parishad president Meena Teli were also present.
