GUWAHATI, March 3 - Significant progress has so far been made in closing majority of the breaches that occurred in the State�s dykes during the last flood season. The breach closure initiatives have been taken up by the State�s Water Resources Department (WRD) under two phases and the first phase was launched on January 1 this year. In this phase, altogether 33 breaches have been taken up for closure.
Under the first phase, 72 restoration works have also been undertaken. Altogether 36 breaches occurred on the dykes of various rivers, including the Brahmaputra and the Barak, during the last flood season. The total length of these breaches is found to be 3,135 metres. But the closing these breaches by retirement dykes will lengthen the measurement to 14,772 metres.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed the WRD to complete the flood control measures by March 31, this year.
So far, an amount of Rs 203.56 crore has been sanctioned for the works undertaken under the first phase, while an amount of Rs 141.998 crore has been allocated for the similar works under the second phase.
According to WRD sources, for closing 33 breaches, 26 schemes have been taken up under the first phase. Till date, five restoration works of the 72 such works undertaken under this phase have been completed. Progress ranging from over 20 per cent to over 80 per cent has been attained in the case of breach closing under this phase.
Under the second phase, tenders for three breach closing schemes have been floated, while tenders for the 67 restoration works are being floated by March 15, 2017, said the sources.
Elaborating, sources said over 80 per cent progress could be attained in closing the 170-metre-long breach (retirement length 240 metres) that occurred on the dyke of the Saralbhanga river at Maorigaon-Ranighat in Kokrajhar district. Over 62 per cent progress has been made in the case of closing the 85-metre-long breach (retirement length 100 metre) on the Brahmaputra dyke at Bongaon, Majuli.
Over 50 per cent progress has been attained in closing the breaches on the Aie river dyke at Dumerguri in Dhubri district and on the Bhogdoi river dyke at Maloukhat. The Aie dyke breach is 40-metre-long, while the Bhogdoi dyke breach is 120-metre-long (retirement 1,509 metres).
Forty five per cent progress has been made in closing the 45-metre-long breaches on the Deolakhal river in Karimganj district, while 30 per cent progress has been made in closing the three breaches measuring 120 metres in length, on the Nurulcherra rivulet in the same district.
Forty per cent progress has been attained in closing the 100-metre-long breach (retirement 2,200 metres) on the dyke on the Brahmaputra at Mikirgaon in Morigaon district.
Works are in progress in closing the 40-metre-long breach (retirement 107 metres) on the Shingla river dyke in Karimganj district, two breaches in the Rukni river dyke in Cachar district, 100-metre-long breach (retirement 253 metres) on the Longai river dyke at Boithakhal in Karimganj district.
Work is on also in closing the 240-metre-long breach on the Barak dyke at Borjurai-Santipur in Cachar district. Work is also on in closing the 100-metre-long breach (retirement 620 metres) on the Belsiri river dyke in Sonitpur district and the 40-metre-long breach (retirement 2,810 metres) on the Depota river dyke in the same district.
Under the second phase, tenders have been floated for closing the 360-metre-long (retirement 1,700 metres) Muwamari breach on the Brahmaputra dyke in Marigaon district. This breach occurred in the last week of November last year under the impact of erosion.
