A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAKHAT: The flood situation in Numaligarh has turned alarming as the Dhansiri river continues to flow above the danger level, inundating newer areas. In July this year, incessant rainfall caused the Dhansiri river to swell dramatically and breach the agricultural embankment at West Dhodang on July 9.
Following the devastating situation faced by the farmers, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, District Commissioner Pulak Mahanta, Bokakhat Sub-Divisional Commissioner Shivani Jarnagar, Circle Officer Debahuti Deka, officials of the Water Resources Department, and representatives of Madhyam Mahura Gaon Panchayat visited the affected site. Although they inspected the disaster-hit area separately and assured locals that immediate measures would be taken, no immediate repair work was undertaken on the agricultural embankment.
As a result, the area has once again been hit by a severe flood. Residents expressed regret that if immediate temporary measures had been taken, the second wave of flooding would not have assumed such a devastating form in West Dhodang.
There has been widespread publicity regarding the State Government’s instructions to undertake immediate repairs of breached embankments and agricultural embankments during the monsoon. In this regard, Madhya Mahura Gaon Panchayat stated that it had prepared an estimate for immediate repair of the agricultural embankment, but approval from the higher authorities has still not been received.
The panchayat further stated that repair work on the agricultural embankment can only be undertaken through the job-card system under the MGNREGA scheme. Residents of West Dhodang have demanded a permanent solution to the extensive riverbank erosion in the area by constructing a protective embankment using geo-bags during the dry season. They have also demanded that the breached agricultural embankment be repaired immediately during the ongoing monsoon.
At present, floodwaters are once again rushing through the breached agricultural embankment with tremendous force, inundating a vast area, including large tracts of paddy fields, and causing extensive damage. The Dhansiri river at Numaligarh is currently flowing at 0.70 metres above the danger level, and according to the Central Water Commission office, the river is likely to rise further. Water levels are continuing to rise rapidly across the Dhansiri river basin, from its source in Nagaland.
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