JORHAT, Aug 14 - State Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta today visited erosion-hit areas in the southern bank of Dikhow river at Raghubari village near Gaurisagar in Sivasagar district.
It may be mentioned here that the minister�s visit comes after The Assam Tribune published a report in the August 4 edition of the newspaper stating about largescale erosion caused by the Dikhow river which was threatening the embankment.
The report mentioned about the prevailing precarious situation in the area after a portion of the embankment reportedly got breached due to massive erosion about a month back that posed the threat of rendering over 50,000 people of Raghubari and its adjoining areas homeless if the embankment got washed away.
Sivasagar District Information and Publicity Officer Sarodi Gogoi told The Assam Tribune this evening that the minister, who was on his way to Charaideo district, visited Raghubari and took stock of the situation of the
embankment.
Gogoi said Mahanta told local people that the Water Resources department will include Raghubari embankment in its schemes for undertaking permanent protection work to tackle erosion from Dikhow river.
The minister reportedly directed the officials of his department to expedite repair works in the site.
She said that the minister also visited Gorokhiadal and Houkajan areas under Nazira subdivision of Sivasagar district hit by erosion.
It may be mentioned here the the southern embankment in Raghubari is the only dyke of river Dikhow which protects National Highway-37 from flood waters during the rainy season every year. Hence, a severe breach of the dyke could submerge large areas of nearby Dikhow, Gaurisagar and Charing.
Reacting to The Assam Tribune news on Raghubari, the AJYCP on August 6 had demanded the Government to initiate immediate measures to prevent further erosion.
Alleging financial irregularities even in temporary repair works of the embankment undertaken by the Water Resources department in recent years, the AJYCP President Putul Dutta had sought that the Government direct the Chief Minister�s Vigilance Cell to monitor the activities of the department which gets work done by engaging private contractors.
