Erosion by Bashistha spells a disaster!

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 5: What a horrible scene Majhipara Gopal Path (a link road) in the city is! It spells a disaster, glaringly! How come those at the helm of affairs do not get goosebumps?

This is the utter lack of sensitivity on the part of the administration which the people of the city have all along been facing. Scant attention to the threat perception of the people has become one of the salient features in Assam.

Bashishtha river criss-crosses College Road at Majhipara where Majhipara Gopal Path stems from and runs along the course of the river. College road stems from the main road near Beltola Chariali. Both College Road and Majhipara Gopal Path have a number of educatiol institutions by thier sides as the area is a thickly-populated one.

However, all is not well in the area. For the past two years, the area has been under a threat due to erosion by the river. What spells a disaster in the entire area is a problem that has stemmed from erosion on the bank along Majhipara Gopal Path by the river. The level of erosion by the river has come to such a pass that high-power electric posts along the road on the bank of the river seem to have gone deeper. A power disaster in the thickly-populated area with a number of educatiol institutions may spell doom. The scene looks like a disaster awaiting the area for an opportune moment.

For reasons best known to them, those at the helm of affairs in the State Water Resources Department do not get goosebumps at the scene.

Talking to this reporter, Ranjit Das, a social worker in the area, said: “Two years ago the Water Resources Department took some preventive measures at Majhipara to protect the bank from erosion by the Bashistha River. However, that wasn’t the permanent solution. The department just erected some bamboo posts and staked up sand and earth-filled sacs there. With the onset of rains this year, the bamboo structures and the sand-filled sacs gave in. Erosion at the spot is a real threat. The situation led us to inform the executive engineer of Water Resources Department to solve the problem once and for all. Around ten days ago, the department sent its people with old bamboo posts to erect them at the spot. However, the local populace sent the workers of the department back not to allow them to go for another shoddy work. While new bamboos erected at the site failed to prevent erosion by the river for two years, how come old bamboos can withstand the pressure of the river? Now the department wants to get rid of the task. When moved they just say that the responsibility for putting anti-prevention structure at the site doesn’t lie with them.”

Biren Kalita, a resident of the area, said: “What I see is a disaster in the making, stemming from erosion by the river. The high-power electric posts along Majhipara Gopal Path and the river seem to have gone deeper. In the event of any power disaster the loss of lives and livestock and other property will be beyond measure.”

The local people say that they did meet the then local MLA Akon Bora, but to no avail. “We’ve met present MLA Atul Bora. If no tangible action is taken up shortly, we’ve no way out but to meet the Chief Minister,” they said.