Threat TO Northern Majuli
From a Correspondent
JORHAT, Aug 7: In September last year, the Sarbanda Sonowal-led government had declared the world’s largest river island Majuli as the 35th district of Assam. The Xatradhikars had then hailed this move, Majuli being the seat of Vaishvite culture and spiritual centre of the State. But now fed-up Xatradhikars want action to save Majuli, which Sonowal represents in Assam Assembly, from the Brahmaputra’s depredations. And they have fixed a deadline for Dispur and New Delhi to get cracking — from August 15 this year. Talking to mediapersons, the Xatradhikars fixed August 15 as deadline for both the Central and State governments to start anti-erosion drive scientifically in order to permanently solve the flood and erosion problem in Majuli, especially the lower Majuli area.
Following heavy erosion in lower Majuli’s Halmora area, as a portion of Spur No.1 of the Water Resource Department was eroded, leaving only Spur No. 2 to protect the northern portion of Majuli district, panic has gripped over 500 families whose lives and properties might be swallowed up by the mighty Brahmaputra any time — said Shri Shri Haridev Goswami, the president of Asom Sattra Mahasabha, Majuli on Monday.
Xatradhikar Haridev Goswami, who was among 14 Xatradhikars to visit the threatened Halmora area, said the situation has turned serious due to heavy erosion from the northern side in the past two days. Erosion protection works are not being carried out in scientific manner, he said, pointing to the damage to Spur No. 1, constructed at the cost of Rs 7 crore, by Brahmaputra’s strong underwater current.
The group of Xatradhikars on Sunday and Monday visited the eroded site and demanded that the government should start anti-erosion drive immediately to protect 551 families of Halmora area.
Shri Shri Jardan Goswami, Xatradhikar of Dhokhinpaat Xatra, criticized Union Water Resource Minister Uma Bharati, saying that even after her visit ‘to save and protect’ Majuli, no positive steps have been taken so far in this regard. He said it is time for the powers-be in New Delhi and Guwahati to see Brahmaputra’s power and the parlous condition of Majuli’s erosion-hit areas.
“We are fed up of being deceived by high-ups, both from the Centre and the State. We also request the Water Resources authority from the Centre to come and see the situation here. We will be forced to come out on the streets for mass agitation, as a length of 1.5 km has already been eroded and a catastrophic situation will be created if the entire Halmora area is submerged. We had urged the State Water Resource Department to check both the spurs at Halmora but the government did not listen to us. Instead, it listened to some greedy contractors,” said an angry Xatradhikar.