Erosion causes large-scale devastation in Gohainbheti, Amtal Baligaon villages

From a Correspondent

Tezpur, Sept 18: The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. It has led to increased pollution and sedimentation in streams and rivers, clogging of waterways and decline in fish and other species. Erosion has become regular feature in Assam, including Sonitpur district, and under this virulent situation many people experience untold sufferings. Likewise, recent erosion at Gohainbheti and Amtal Baligaon of Mazroumari Gaon Panchyat under Dhekiajuli LAC in Sonitpur district has taken an outrageous turn.

According to the sources, 32 families became homeless and lost all their household properties and agricultural land was completely destroyed due to massive erosion from Panchnoi. The victim families are taking shelter in other places and hundreds of hectares of cultivated land turned barren due to this calamity. The health of soil is a primary concern for farmers and the global community whose livelihood depends on well- maged agriculture. While there are many challenges to maintaining healthy soil, there are also solutions and a dedicated group of people work to innovate and maintain the fragile skin from which biodiversity springs. Every year, erosion creates major disaster for several villages and it has become a major concern since people there hardly get any scope to get relief, sources said.

Without plant cover, erosion can occur and sweep the land into rivers. The agricultural plants that often replace the trees cannot hold onto the soil and many of these plants, such as coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybean and wheat, can actually worsen soil erosion. And as land loses its fertile soil, agricultural producers move on, clear more forest and continue the cycle of soil loss. Desertification can be characterized by the drought and arid conditions the landscape endures as a result of human exploitation of fragile ecosystems. Effects include land degradation, soil erosion and sterility, and a loss of biodiversity, with huge economic costs for tions where deserts are growing.

Local people alleged that degraded lands are also often less able to hold onto water, which can worsen flooding. Sustaible land use can help to reduce the impact of agriculture and livestock, preventing soil degradation and erosion and the loss of valuable land to desertification. As the human population has expanded, more and more land has been cleared for agriculture and other pursuits that degrade the soil and make erosion more likely to occur. Thus, erosion of Panchnoi has brought serious threat to the people of the area and it is very unfortute that despite several assurances given by the authority concerned, no preventive measure have been employed so far to alleviate the distress of the people, local people alleged.