CHAPAR, Feb 7 ? The river Manas is creating havoc in North Salmara subdivision of Bongaigaon district for the last few years. It has eroded villages, educational and religious institutions, cultivating land and fisheries in Mererchar, Dubachuri, Sikatari and Madhufal areas.
The river which flows through a densely populated area here, has been changing its meandering course every year, and in the process swallowing up hundreds of bighas of land every year. In Dubachuri, it has eroded the villages, the paddy and horticultural fields fisheries out of which the masses earn their daily bread. Moreover the river has also eroded educational and religious institutions.
The Kushbari market has been eroded on three sides. As a result, ditches around the market had been forced to shift. Presently, only three long bamboo bridges connect the market with its surrounding areas. It is now quite problematic for two-wheeler drivers to cross these rickety makeshift bridges.
Sikatari and Madhufal areas are the worst affected areas by the Manah. Sikatari village, from which once huge revenue collection was made, has been completely eroded by the river and all the affected people of the areas have scattered in the surrounding areas. Moreover, all the roads and lanes have been affected by flood water. The pitiable state of the routes has made life miserable for commuters. As the river is annually changing its course and eroding the cultivating land, the agricultural production of these areas has been badly affected in the recent years.
The river has made life complicated for the people of Lengtisinga and its surrounding areas. As the river once flowed through twin braided channel near Lengtisinga, communication is badly affected and when the river dries up in winter it becomes impossible for the hand boats or ?bhutbutis? to come to Lengtisinga. The cultivators have to carry out their agricultural production to Lengtisinga only on their shoulders. Moreover, a vast area of the locality has become sandy and barren.
Once, this area was fertile enough for agricultural production through the years. The river has also caused inconvenience in communication and has been eroding cultivating land along with villages at its meeting points with the Brahmaputra in Chatala. At this confluence, the river has eroded several large villages. The marooned people have become scattered in the nearby areas like Abhayapuri Naldoba, and other permanent areas.
At this confluence the river is very shallow as it flows through many small braided channels along a wide spread area thereby creating communicational hazards for the ?bhutbutis? which ply to Goalpara regularly from Dubachuri, Katakhali and Moinbari. Besides communicational hazards, it is causing much woe to the cultivators eroding agriculture, horticulture, bamboo groves, and other trees.
The remaining parts of historical Moinbari and Hadirachaki, which is in Barpeta district, are also affected from the northern side by the Manah, the south and east of which is already eroded by the Brahmaputra. In fact, the people of Moinbari, Hadirachaki, and Katakhali are trapped between the Manah and the Brahmaputra which encircle the area. Neither the political leaders nor the district administration has heeded the problems faced by the people living on the banks.