Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Majuli continues to reel from massive soil erosion by the Brahmaputra River, with huge swathes of agricultural land along with many houses swept away by the river waters in Bhakat Chapori in the past few days. Concerned over the government’s inability to protect the area, people of Bhakat Chapori are now mulling not participating in the voting process for the upcoming Panchayat polls.
Bhakat Chapori has very fertile land, and there’s considerable agricultural output. There are 16 villages in this sapori (low-lying riverbank), and most of them are in danger from the persistent soil erosion issue. During some years there is erosion on a massive scale, and during others the erosion is of lesser magnitude, but this has not grabbed the attention of the government the way it should have, locals allege.
Talking to The Sentinel, a local youth, Hemanta Borah, said, “In the past one week or so, there has been continuous erosion of land in Bhakat Chapori, and more than one hundred metres of land on this riverbank have been washed away. If this continues at the present rate, the homes of people located another one hundred metres away will disappear in the waters of the Brahmaputra River. This is leading to genuine fear among the people in the area. A few days ago, the Majuli DC had visited the area, but no action has been taken as yet. A resident of the affected area named Jiten Saikia has been shifted by the district administration from his house to a place further away from the raging river. Majuli has historically borne the brunt of soil erosion, and a large area has disappeared over the years. I appeal to the central and state governments to take up protection measures at the earliest so that Majuli remains on the map.”
Borah further said that Bhakat Chapori is a vast stretch of riverbank land, and soil erosion is mainly affecting the area from Gorukhuti to Padumoni.
When some local correspondents of media houses visited the spot, some womenfolk aired their grievance over the constant soil erosion and said they are thinking of boycotting the panchayat election as a mark of protest over the government’s inaction. One woman said, “We’re thinking about not voting in the panchayat election, as we have not seen any activity on the part of the administration to protect us from this recurring erosion. It remains a moot question as to whether we will protect our lives and property or go to vote in the election.”
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