SUALKUCHI, June 24 � Water Resources Minister Rajiv Lochan Pegu along with Education Minister and the local MLA Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the erosion-affected areas at Boarding Road here on June 19 and studied the gravity of the problem.
Both the ministers were apprised of the gradual flood-induced erosion of land, property and valuable trees etc of the people of the affected areas. If the erosion continues unabated, then the entire inhabited areas would be eroded in the near future, the ministers were told.
Officers of the Water Resources department informed the minister about the measures already adopted to protect the land and properties of the people.
They said an estimate worth Rs 13 crore for protection the areas measuring 700 meters from Nath Chupa to Basudev Satra, Bathan was submitted to the Central Water Resources department in 2010. The Water Resources Minister then directed the officials to carry out immediate measures to protect the land from erosion of the mighty Brahmaputra. He assured the people that permanent work for protection would be done after two months.
Meanwhile, 25 bighas of land were lost for ever due to erosion by the Brahmaputra since April. Though the Water Resources department had taken some measures like installing bamboos cribs, bank trimming (sloping) etc, but it failed to rise to the occasion when erosion was taking place in April and May.
It is common knowledge that Sualkuchi is an erosion- prone area. The Water Resources department has been taking some measures to check erosion on the bank of the Brahmaputra in a phase-wise manner. Meanwhile, two schemes, namely Keonpara measuring 800 metres and Golden measuring 700 metres were completed by constructing stone spur and boulder pitching.
