GUWAHATI, Oct 1 - Still recovering from the recent devastating floods that transformed the hitherto dead Kolong river into a terrifying torrent of death and destruction, the people of Kaliabor during the just-concluded Durga Puja festival took a pledge to revive and rejuvenate the river � celebrated in poetry and folklore � and restore its lost glory as the lifeline of Kaliabor.
The Kaliabor sub-divisional administration in its bid to revive the Kolong with the inhabitants of Kaliabor as active stakeholders adopted the theme �Rejuvenation of Kolong � for this year�s Durga Puja with the mottos � �pollution free�, �encroachment free� and �perennial Kolong.�
Wide-ranging activities including events and competitions on naam, art, quiz, poetry, etc., on the theme �Kolong� marked the celebrations across all the Puja mandaps under the direction of the administration. While the Puja mandaps reverberated with Kolong Vandana, poetry enthusiasts added novelty to the celebrations through their recitation of elegant compositions on the Kolong.
�The focus of the Durga Puja celebrations was on reviving this once-beautiful river which has undergone drastic transformation due to dumping of waste and encroachment. We want to change this and restore it to its earlier status with participation of the people. We have a plan for that but people�s participation is a must to ensure its implementation,� Pankaj Chakravarty, SDO (Civil), Kaliabor, told The Assam Tribune.
The administration which involved NGOs, Asam Sahitya Sabha and other mass organizations in the process for revival of the river, is hopeful of effecting the desired changes by motivating the people besides strict implementation of laws concerning the health and hygiene of the river.
�How the local inhabitants conduct themselves will have a long-term bearing on the revival of the Kolong. We are engaging children, school students, youths and residents living on its banks in the campaign for ensuring that the river is not abused,� he said.
The plans for Kolong include its development as a vibrant recreational space with facilities for water sports. �All this will materialise only when the river is saved from the severe degradation it is undergoing today. Rejuvenation of the Kolong will boost not just its river ecosystem but also positively impact all the related fields such as agriculture, fishery, and irrigation,� Chakravarty added.
The Kolong flows through the heart of Kaliabor subdivision from east to west, providing ample scope for river cruise on the lines of the famed backwater tourism of Kerala. �The Kaliabor Lift Irrigation scheme in convergence with the river Kolong can help boost agriculture,� he said.
An inseparable part of local lore, Kolong had been an inspiration for writers � something testified to by the poignant narratives by the likes of Devakanta Baruah, Nabakanta Baruah and Mahim Bora.
The Kolong had a big role in moulding the lives and cultures of the inhabitants on its banks. It was after the closing of the mouth of the Kalong several decades back � ostensibly to save the Nagaon town from possible devastating floods � that the decaying process of the once-life-giving river started. Soon, large-scale encroachment on either side of the river and its abuse as a dumping ground proved fatal for the river.
�We have taken the pledge not to pollute the river, not to encroach on this gift of nature, and to let the river flow naturally,� Chakravarty added.