Lakhimpur: Massive riverbank erosion along the Subansiri River has displaced more than 100 families in the past few weeks, which has caused widespread destruction across several villages. Most of the affected residents belong to indigenous Mising communities who have lived along the river for generations. The erosion has washed away houses, livestock and large stretches of cultivable land, leaving families in devastation.
Villages such as Goalbari, Pub Telahi, Esarikota, Na Ali, Santipur, Baligaon, Majorchapori and Dofolakota have suffered extensive damage. Among them, Goalbari under Pub Telahi has experienced the severe losses. With vast portions of land disappearing into the river within hours, local residents described the situation as one of the worst erosion events in recent memory.
Many families have moved to safer areas, carrying only essential belongings after being forced to leave their ancestral homes. The loss of land has also taken away their primary livelihood, pushing them into deep uncertainty.
The affected villagers expressed strong dissatisfaction with the government, alleging that promises made by MP from Lakhimpur Pradan Baruah and Cabinet Minister Ranoj Pegu during election campaigns were not fulfilled. They said that despite repeated requests, no concrete anti-erosion work was carried out in the region.
Residents also complained that no public representative had visited the area to assess the damage or offer support. They stated that even though the villages were earlier under the Lakhimpur constituency and now fall under Nowboicha, their problems had been ignored by both former MLA Utpal Dutta and current MLA Manab Deka.
Seeking long-term relief and better attention, the affected families appealed to the Government of Assam to bring their villages under the Majuli Assembly constituency, hoping for improved response and intervention in the future.