JORHAT, May 7 - Tension gripped river island Majuli yesterday after local people came out at Bhakat Sapori area to register protest against alleged washing away of geo-bags laid by a private firm engaged by the Brahmaputra Board to check unabated land erosion by the mighty Red River.
Bhakat Sapori is about 3 kilometres from Kamalabari, the commercial hub of river island district Majuli, and is the north-west part of the Brahmaputra island.
According to official sources in Majuli, villagers were peeved after a large number of geo-bags laid recently by the private firm under reference were reportedly washed away.
The concerned villagers allegedly rebuked a few officials, believed to be from the Brahmaputra Board, who had gone to inspect the site, sources stated.
On receiving information about the verbal spat, Majuli Deputy Commissioner Debaprasad Misra directed two assistant commissioners � Achyut Baruah and Bibhas Pathak � to visit the spot and take stock of the situation.
Accordingly, the two district administration officials reached Bhakat Sapori and defused the situation after listening to complaints of alleged poor quality of work being carried out at the river embankment under the Brahmaputra Board by the private firm engaged in the project, sources said.
Misra told The Assam Tribune that after being informed by the two assistant commissioners about the situation at Bhakat Sapori, he (Misra) sought an explanation from the Majuli-based Executive Engineer of the Brahmaputra Board Bhaskarjyoti Choudhury at the earliest regarding the allegations levelled by the villagers against the Board about the inferior quality of work carried out in executing the project.
When asked whether the allegation of the geo-bags being washed away was true, the Deputy Commissioner said, as of now, he could not comment on the subject. He added, �let the report from the Brahmaputra Board�s Executive Engineer reach me first.�
It may be mentioned here that the geo-bag laying work at Bhakat Sapori was being done under the Brahmaputra Board�s �Bank rivetment and protection works project� in the island district.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is the Majuli legislator, was irked by the slow progress of work related to protection of Majuli island from massive erosion by the Brahmaputra.
He gave an ultimatum to the private firm, TK Engineering, to complete the project within May this year on a war-footing or face legal action.
