GUWAHATI, June 7 ? The water pressure on the south bank of the river Brahmaputra throughout its entire course in Assam is increasing considerably over the years due to heavy siltation from the north bank, which resulted in severe erosion. State Flood Control Department sources told The Assam Tribune today that almost in its entire course, the bed of the river Brahmaputra near the northrn bank has become much higher than the south because of heavy siltation. Sources pointed out that the lower Himalayas has always remained a fragile land mass, while, large-scale deforestation in southern Bhutan and in the neighbouring states of Arunachal and Nagaland in the last few years aggrevated the problem. The silt accumulation from the tributaries coming from the northern side of Brahmaputra also complicated the problem.
Sources revealed that almost the entire south bank of the river Brahmaputra is facing the problem of erosion and the worst affeted areas include Rohmoria and Hatighuli areas in Dibrugarh district, parts of Sivasagar and Morigaon districts, Neemati in Jorhat, Palasbari and Gumi in Kamrup district, Goalpara town, Hatisingimari and Bhasani Char areas in Dhubri district etc. The Flood Control Department has not been able to take up successful erosion protection schemes due to heavy water pressure and the matter has been taken up with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests as a massive afforestation drive can reduce the problem to a great extent. Though it is too early to predict the level of floods this year, Flood Control Department sources revealed that more than 50 major breaches and cuts in the embankments caused by floods in the last two years could not be repaired due to paucity of funds and there is every possibility of floods creating havoc. Sources, however, said that a number of small breaches were plugged with rural development funds and the department has started carrying out the normal flood drill to reduce the possible damage.
Assam has about 4,450 kms of embankments, but most of those embankments, constructed in the early 1960s crossed their lifespans and some of those are in very bad shape. Flood Control Department sources said, ?according to norms fixed by the Government of India, we need about Rs 60 crore a year for proper maintenance of the embankments, but we get less than five per cent of the amount.? Encroachment of the embankments in different parts of the State has also turned out to be a major problem. Sources pointed out that the encroachments not only weakened the embankments, but also made it impossible for the Department to take up protection works. It may be mentioned here that a three-phase National Flood Control Policy was formulated in 1954 and the embankments were constructed as a part of the first phase of the policy. But unfortunately, the second and third phases of the policy, that is to take up short and long term measures for controlling floods, were never implemented. Meanwhile, the Assam Government has submitted a Rs 406.43 crore scheme for protection of Rohmoria in Dibrugarh district from severe erosion. Sources revealed that severe erosion in the Rohmoria area has already affected 49 villages and posed serious threat to Dibrugarh town, Chabua airport, Dinjan Army base and a number of oil fields. The people of the area have already started an agitation, which also affected functioning in the oil fields. The Government of Assam has been requesting the Centre for funds to tackle the problem and the matter was also taken up with the Prime Minister during his recent visit to Dibrugarh to inaugurate the construction of the Bogibeel bridge.
However, one good news is that the Central Technical Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Water Resources has recently passed a Rs 13.70 crore scheme to divert the course of the Dibang river, which may reduce the problem of erosion at Rohmoria to a great extent. Flood Control Department sources said that the Dibang river changed its course a few years back and merged with Lohit, which aggrevated the erosion problem. Sources said that the highest discharge of Dibang is about 11,000 cubic metre per second, while that of Lohit is about 12,000 metres per second, and when Dibang changed its course, Lohit river was unable to take the pressure, which aggravated the erosion problem. As per the proposal, an attempt would be made to divert Dibang river to its original course by digging a 6.50 km channel and by providing obstructions in the new course, sources added. The State Government is expecting funds for the project from the non-lapsable pool of Central funds and the implementation of the project is likely to start in October.