Letters to the Editor: Save Assam’s soul: The mighty Brahmaputra

Save Assam’s soul: The mighty Brahmaputra

I am writing to you not just as a concerned citizen but as someone who has grown up alongside the river Brahmaputra, or 'Luit' – the lifeline of our land. This river is more than a geographical feature; it is woven into the very fabric of our culture, our livelihoods, and our identity. It is with a heavy heart that I witness this magnificent entity, this "Son of Brahma", slowly succumbing to our negligence. The current state of its pollution and degradation is a silent crisis, and it's time we truly humanized the issue.

The river that once flowed with pristine power now carries the burden of our unchecked urbanisation and industrial apathy. The untreated sewage from thousands of households and the rampant dumping of plastic waste are turning our life-giving waters into a toxic drain. Local fishermen are finding their daily catch drastically reduced, struggling to feed their families as fish populations dwindle and the water quality plummets. The endangered Gangetic dolphins, natural indicators of river health, are vanishing.

The health risks to the communities who depend on this water for drinking and agriculture are real and immediate, ranging from waterborne diseases to heavy metal contamination. This isn't an abstract environmental problem; it's a direct threat to our families, our heritage, and our future.

We can no longer afford beautification projects that ignore the underlying issues of waste management and pollution control. We need immediate, concrete action. I urge the authorities to prioritize the strict enforcement of environmental regulations on industrial waste disposal and accelerate the establishment of proper sewage treatment plants. Equally important is fostering a strong sense of community ownership through public awareness campaigns and supporting local clean-up initiatives.

The Brahmaputra has nourished us for generations. It is our moral imperative to protect it. Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I hope to stir the collective conscience of our community and policymakers to unite and safeguard our precious river before it's too late.

Sanjukta Rudra

Gauhati University

State’s shrinking wetlands

It is indeed a matter of serious concern for every environmentally conscious individual that climate change leads to changes in precipitation patterns and temperature, which are directly impacting wetlands in the state. It needs to be mentioned here that wetlands within the sanctuary have started experiencing drastic changes in terms of water retention capacity, thereby reducing their flood mitigation effectiveness every year. The researchers of the GU's Geography department recently noted that factors such as run-off, groundwater recharge and land-use change, rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns and frequent inundation could aggravate ecological pressures inside the national parks, further exacerbating the susceptibility of the sanctuary's resources.

Therefore, it's now imperative to evaluate the current conditions of the identified wetlands and conduct in-depth hydrological analysis and feasibility assessments to achieve the primary goal of flood-risk reduction by restoring and rejuvenating wetlands and improving their ecological and hydrological functionality. At the same time, there is a need for engaging local communities in sustainable wetlands management and conservation activities to support long-term livelihoods at the earliest possible time before the prevailing situation turns for the worst.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati. 

Impact of AI tools on young minds

Through the esteemed columns of your newspaper, I would like to draw attention to an increasingly alarming issue—the excessive dependence of the younger generation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, which is drastically diminishing their ability to think independently.

In recent times, students have begun relying heavily on AI-based applications for solving assignments, generating ideas and even writing answers. Instead of using their creativity and knowledge, they are choosing shortcuts provided by these tools. This has led to reduced critical thinking, a lack of originality and weakened problem-solving skills. If young minds stop engaging in cognitive effort, their intellectual growth may be severely hampered in the long run.

Technology is meant to be a supportive aid, not a replacement for human intelligence. It is essential for parents and teachers to ensure that children use AI responsibly and only as a supplementary resource. Schools should encourage activities that promote independent thinking, such as debates, hands-on projects and creative learning methods.

If immediate corrective steps are not taken, the future generation may become overly dependent on technology, losing their ability to think, imagine, and innovate. I sincerely hope this is given due importance and necessary measures are adopted to safeguard the intellectual development of today’s youth.

Barnali Das

(imbarnalidas07@gmail.com)