SIVASAGAR, Oct 30 - Panidihing known mostly for its bird sanctuary and the rich traditional culture of the Mising, Deori and Sonowal Kachari villages and milk production, is beset with myriad problems which have been given scant attention though successive governments in Dispur have often claimed to be the rural people�s saviour. The main problems in the entire region from Paraliguri to Chitolia in West Panidihing are communication bottlenecks, flood and erosion of the Brahmaputra, lack of health facilities and most importantly depredation by wild elephants.
The road communication to the West Panidihing mouza, comprising villages Chitolia, Samukjan, Dolopa, Kailamari, Singiani, Dhaibari, Teteliguri, Katiori, Borgaon, Sumoni, Baohuabari with Bamrajabari as its centre has improved much due to the present government�s major thrust on improving rural roads, but the bottleneck remains as the area which lies at an aerial distance of only 10 km from Sivasagar town can only be approached via Demow and Nitaipukhuri, 30 km east of the town. The historic Dhai Ali, that connects the area directly was in ruins for about a century and the government has of late reconstructed part of it and the RCC bridge over the Desung but it is still not open for public transport. The PWD has laid paver blocks on the entire strip up to the Demow bridge which is under construction.
But the construction appears very defective as there is no side bund along the strip with dangerously steep sides down the roadside ditch. The historic Dhai Ali, if completed upto Kakilamari connecting the Brahmaputra embankment, will rid the entire region of communication bottleneck and the tourist flow into the Panidihing Bird Sanctuary and Dhaipukhuri Than will increase manifold.
The Rajabari Health Centre is the sole health centre for the entire Panidihing region and the villagers from West Panidihing have to travel nearly eight km to reach it over the muddy Brahmaputra embankment in the rainy season. A sub centre at Kakilamari, proposed during the AGP regime did not come off, informed, a former Head Master, Kakilamari High School Niroj Rajmedhi. Rajmedhi said that land for the sub-centre was also allotted near the high school field.
A police outpost at Rajabari is also the need of the hour. If set up, it will add to the security concern of the government employees engaged in interior areas. The health centre and the veterinary hospital at Katiori has staff quarters but the doctors stay at Nitaipukhuri because of security concerns. A police outpost will also help in the growth of other institutions like rural branches of the banks.
Erosion also continues to be a threat to Kakilamari and Dolopa regions. It is aggravated by cutting down of the trees along the sides of the Brahmaputra from Borgaon to Barpathar by unscrupulous persons with the connivance of a section of forest officials. A government initiative to grow trees and grass to provide cattle fodder during the rainy season and floods can be an effective means to upgrade milk production from the region. Milk production comes to a halt when flood waters inundate numerous Brahmaputra riverine isles (chaporis) and the paddy fields in Panidihing.
