Delay in completion of geobag dyke project irks residents

A CORRESPONDENT

BISWATH CHARIALI, Feb 10: A major project mely Protection of Biswath-Panpur including areas of upstream Silamari and far downstream Bhumuraguri to Boragaon from erosion of the river Brahmaputra to protect the lives and properties of a huge area of Biswath Chariali is being implemented at the southern part of the district headquarter of the Biswath district.

But local people alleged that the progress of the work is not satisfactory at all though the work was started in the month of February in 2015.

The project involves protection works of a stretch of 6000 metres in between Bortilla to Sholmari village and execution of earth work for strengthening the existing embankment of a stretch of 7280 metres with erection of PSC porcupine at Biswath Ghat.

The contract for protection work was allotted two contractors—M/s SM Spinning Mills Pvt Ltd of Maharastra for a length of 3960 metres and JV Flexituff and Javed Ahmed, LLP, Biswath Chariali for a length of 3640 metres.

However, the progress of the work is very poor. At the western side of the work, no protection work has been taken up till now where the distance between the bank and embankment is very nomil and there is every possibility of danger during the flood season.

Moreover, the contractor has not started any work at Silamari and Bhojmari areas till now where they have to carry out another protection work for a length of 800 metres each.

In addition, supply of porcupine is not satisfactory and only a few contractors have allegedly supplied fifty percent of their allotted work.

On the other hand, the geo-bags were told to be made in Chi, but the relevant papers show that it is country made. Several social organizations including AAMSU, Biswath Chariali garik Santha and Senior Citizens’ Forum have urged the state government to take necessary action for early completion of the work.

The MLA, Biswath LAC had also written to the State Water Resources minister in this regard. The Biswath Deputy Commissioner, Asitaksha Chakravarty accompanied by engineer Prabin Bhuyan of Tezpur Division of Water Resource department and Executive Engineer Lochan Choudhury of Biswath visited the site on Thursday and instructed the concerned persons to complete the work at the earliest. Locals alleged that such type of works have become an earning source for some employees and contractors of the department for which they delay intentiolly in executing the works.