Our Correspondent
MANGALDAI: The greater Kuruwa area in the south-westernmost corner of Darrang district on the north bank of River Brahmaputra in Sipajhar LAC is perhaps officially recorded as being a part of Darrang district, but in practice, the entire area has failed to get the minimum concern from the administration. The district administration, with much of fanfare, in April 2017 had celebrated the first edition of the Namami Brahmaputra festival. The celebration of this festival, that too for the first time in the comparatively inaccessible area of Kuruwa, had brought a ray of hope that the government would take up practical measures for protection from erosion of the Brahmaputra.
But the hopes of the people were dashed and since recently the entire area has been facing serious threat from the erosion of the mighty River Brahmaputra. The severe erosion, especially in the part of Upar Kuruwa, has washed away 100 bighas of land along with variety of trees and plants in the courtyards of around 150 families. The erosion is also causing great threat to the main embankment from Kuruwa to Bhati Kuruwa which has been protecting several local public institutions, including Kuruwa State Dispensary, Kuruwa HS School, Sri Sankardev Naamghar, Ananda Ram Barua Library, weaving centre, Anganwadi centre, besides business and residential establishments.
“The river is now flowing just 50 or 60 feet away from the main embankment and if is touched it, the entire Upar Kuruwa village is going to lost its very existence at any moment,” said a teacher of the locality, Rajib Das while echoing the fear psychosis that has already gripped every mind there in Kuruwa. The Water Resource Department (WRD), a white elephant of the State Government, has miserably failed to take up any permanent protection measures, except fixing few hundred number porcupines under the annual Maintenance and Repairing (M & R) head only as a temporary arrangement.
Though the department was about to take up the initiative for a major protection work with an estimated cost of Rs 220 lakh, the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha election became a barrier. “The tender process for the NABARD sponsored project to cover a length of 6,600 metres was completed on March 11, but the work order could not be issued due to the imposition of the model code of conduct. Necessary correspondence with the State Election Department for granting special approval has been made by our department as well as from the Deputy Commissioner’s side. However, no response from the Election Commission has been received so far,” said the Executive Engineer of Mangaldai Water Resource Division while talking to media persons recently.
Significantly, the venue of the Namami Brahmaputra festival at Kuruwa has already lost its existence due to the severe erosion. Deputy Commissioner of Darrang Ghanshyam Dass and Sipajhar legislator Binanda Kr Saikia recently visited the area and some fruitful result is still awaited.
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