Letters to The EDITOR: Subansiri: The river that carried gold

Subansiri: The river that carried gold

Long before satellites mapped rivers or geologists explained placer deposits, the people of Assam knew that one of their greatest rivers carried something extraordinary.

The Subansiri River, the largest tributary of the Brahmaputra, derives its name from the Sanskrit words "Suvarna" (gold) and "Siri" or "Srota" (stream or flow)—literally meaning "the stream of gold". While the exact linguistic origin is debated, the association with gold survived in folklore, historical records, and local memory for centuries.

The river rises in the eastern Himalayas of Tibet, flows through Arunachal Pradesh, and enters the fertile plains of Assam before joining the mighty Brahmaputra. Along its journey, it cuts through gold-bearing Himalayan rocks. As these rocks weather over thousands of years, tiny flakes of gold are washed downstream and deposited in river sands, a process that modern geology calls placer gold formation.

But the people of Assam understood the process long before science gave it a name.

Among those most closely connected to this tradition were the Sonowal Kacharis, whose very name reflects their relationship with gold. The word "Sonowal" is believed to have originated from "Suwal" or "Sonowal", meaning one who deals with or washes gold.

During the Ahom kingdom, the Sonowals were entrusted with the specialised task of extracting gold from the sands of rivers such as the Subansiri, Disang, and parts of the Brahmaputra. Historical chronicles, including references found in the Buranjis (the Ahom court chronicles), mention communities engaged in gold washing as part of the kingdom's organized labour system.

This was not mining in the conventional sense.

Gold washers searched for places where heavy minerals naturally accumulated inside river bends, behind large rocks, and on seasonal sandbars. Using simple bamboo baskets, wooden pans, and carefully practised washing techniques, they separated dense gold particles from ordinary sand. It demanded patience, intimate knowledge of river behaviour, and generations of inherited experience.

The quantities were usually small, but over time they were valuable enough to contribute to the Ahom treasury. Gold collected from Assam's rivers was used for royal ornaments, religious offerings, ceremonial objects, and, at times, as tribute.

European visitors and British administrators also recorded the existence of gold washing in Assam. In the nineteenth century, officials noted that although the practice continued in certain rivers, it was already in decline. The introduction of colonial land policies, changing systems of taxation, the expansion of tea plantations, and new economic opportunities gradually drew communities away from this traditional occupation.

By the early twentieth century, river gold washing had become increasingly rare.

Today, only fragments of this remarkable tradition survive in oral histories and family memories. Yet its legacy lives on not only in the surname Sonowal but also in the name of the Subansiri, a river that has carried stories as precious as the gold once hidden in its sands.

The next time you hear the name Subansiri, remember that it is more than just a river flowing through Assam. It is a reminder of an ancient relationship between people and nature where generations learnt to read the moods of a river, patiently searching for treasures that time itself had scattered across its bed.

The Subansiri still flows, carrying not just water but also the echoes of an ancient craft, the wisdom of a forgotten people, and a history that deserves to be remembered.

So next time you hear its name, do remember that some of Assam's greatest treasures were never locked inside palaces—they flowed freely with the current.

Abihotry Bhardwaz

Gauhati University

Bharalu: River or drain?

When I first came to Guwahati for my studies, I saw a narrow, black, foul-smelling channel choked with plastic and waste. I assumed it was a municipal drain. I was stunned to learn it was the Bharalu River, once a living tributary of the Brahmaputra.

Today, the Bharalu is less a river and more an open sewer. Decades of unchecked encroachment along its banks, rampant dumping of solid waste, and the discharge of untreated sewage from homes and commercial establishments have destroyed its flow and ecology. The riverbed is now clogged with silt and garbage, reducing its carrying capacity to a fraction of what it once was. The consequences are felt every monsoon. The Bharalu overflows, flooding Guwahati’s streets with contaminated water. This water enters homes, shops, and hospitals, spreading waterborne diseases like cholera, jaundice, and dengue. Roads are damaged, traffic is paralysed, and livelihoods are disrupted year after year. What was once a source of sustenance has become a threat to public health and urban safety.

If we continue to treat rivers as drains, we lose more than ecology: we lose dignity and liveability. Reviving the Bharalu is not impossible. The administration must act decisively: stop all direct sewage outfalls, demarcate and clear encroachments, conduct scientific desilting before every monsoon, build community toilets to reduce waste discharge, and impose strict penalties for dumping.

I mistook the Bharalu for a drain once. Let us not let the next generation make the same mistake. Guwahati deserves a real river, not a dirty drain.

Kangkamita Hazarika

Biswanath, Assam

Right to walk on footpaths recognised

The Supreme Court recently recognised the pedestrians' right to walk on the demarcated pavement as a fundamental right, marking a landmark move in urban space policy. The ruling has come as a blessing for the footpath users who are forced to walk on the edge of the roads because footpaths are either absent, damaged or unusable, exposing people to accidents. To make matters worse, across cities like Guwahati, pavements are routinely occupied by hawkers, eateries and parked two-wheelers, forcing people to walk onto roads, increasing the risk of accidents. The recent footpath eviction drive by the civic authorities as part of the city beautification was indeed a well-intentioned measure. Encroachment should be addressed through an approach that protects livelihoods while preserving public access. Walking is integral to life. Therefore, concerned bodies must treat footpaths as essential public infrastructure with legally enforceable standards for width, continuity, accessibility and maintenance. Cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam demonstrated that prioritising pedestrians and cyclists improves safety, mobility and public health. So, pedestrians should be at the centre of urban planning so that one can walk safely with dignity on the right of way.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati

Science must lead Assam’s battle against floods

"Prevention is better than cure" is not merely an old proverb; for Assam, it is a necessity. The recent workshop on the River Model BRAHMA, jointly organised by the North Eastern Hydraulic and Allied Research Institute (NEHARI), the Brahmaputra Board, and IIT Guwahati, is a welcome step towards modernising river management in the state. Such initiatives deserve greater public attention because they offer practical solutions to one of Assam's most persistent challenges.

Year after year, the Brahmaputra and its tributaries unleash devastating floods, riverbank erosion, and channel migration, washing away homes, farmland, schools, roads, and livelihoods. Despite spending enormous public funds on embankments and relief measures, long-term solutions remain elusive. Advanced hydro-morphological models like BRAHMA can help experts simulate river behaviour, identify vulnerable stretches, evaluate engineering interventions, and improve flood forecasting. Such scientific tools can also support climate-resilient infrastructure, reduce disaster risks, and minimise economic losses.

However, research should not gather dust in laboratories or remain confined to workshops. The findings must be translated into policy, integrated with disaster management plans, and shared with district administrations. Equally important is involving local communities, whose traditional knowledge can complement scientific research. Capacity-building programmes for engineers, planners, and students should also be conducted regularly. The Brahmaputra has shaped Assam's civilisation, but it also tests our resilience every monsoon season. It's time to proactively plan for the future instead of just responding to crises and to take decisive action rather than merely addressing issues after disasters occur. If science, governance, and community participation work hand in hand, Assam can finally turn the tide and build a safer, more resilient future.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat

Self-enumeration in Census 2027

India will conduct the Census 2027 across the country to gather crucial data on its demographics and the socio-economic profiles of its population. As part of the exercise, a self-enumeration facility has been introduced, which will be available from April 1, 2026. Census 2027 will be fully digital, with enumerators recording data during household visits using mobile applications. To simplify participation, citizens may also choose the self-enumeration option, which allows them to fill in their details at a time convenient to them. Participation in the Census is compulsory under the Census Act, 1948. Every household is required to provide accurate information. Self-enumeration allows respondents to complete and submit the census schedule on their own, without an enumerator filling it in for them. The Self Enumeration Portal, developed by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, enables residents to furnish their Census 2027 details online from their homes. Self-enumeration allows individuals to enter their information at their convenience and saves them a lot of time. It can improve accuracy, as respondents provide their own details, offer greater privacy since data are entered directly, reduce the workload of enumerators and contribute to a more efficient census process.

An optional 15-day Self-Enumeration period will precede the house-to-house field visit. The Self-Enumeration Portal is a secure web-based facility that allows eligible respondents within a household to submit their household information online prior to field operations. Upon successful submission, a unique Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) will be generated. This SE ID is to be shared with the enumerator, on the basis of which the enumerator will be able to confirm the information. It will be available in 16 languages (Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu).

Plavan Bhuyan, T.H.B College,

Jamugurihat, Sonitpur.