Erosion of Bardi River poses major threat to Rangia-Kamalpur-Hajo-Mukalmuwa

A CORRESPONDENT

TAMULPUR, May 2: Massive erosion by Bardi has been affecting many villages like Guwabari, Bagarikhuti, Hastipur, Orangajuli, No-2 Dongargaon, grijuli Tea Estate, Kalcheni, Pipleni, Sircheni every year.

In 2003 the flood of Bardi washed away more than 140 families with all their properties in the village of Garobasti and the river changes its course to join the river Boroliya affecting a major part of not only grijuli Tea Estate but also affected Rangia, Kamalpur, Hajo and Mukalmuwa. At that time due to flood, many died and many families became homeless and lost their properties.

Later on demand of the public of grijuli area the Brahmaputra Board constructed an embankment of 1900 meters length to protect grijuli Tea Estate which is the biggest industry in undivided lbari district, presently in the Baksa district under BTAD. But nothing was done by government to stop the massive soil erosion in the vulnerable part in the north side of grijuli Tea Estate and southern part of the Tea Estate.

Every year massive soil erosion has resulted loss of thousands bighas  of agriculture land along with houses by Bardi. It may be mentioned here that now the river is flowing only 120 meters away from the river Oranga at Bagarikhuti and about 100 meters away from Baralia at Kalcheni and Pipleni village.

If government doesn’t take immediate action to stop the massive soil erosion than the river Bardi will touch the river Oranga and Baralia which might result in a great flood posing extreme threat to Rangia-Kamalpur-Hajo and Mukalmuwa.

The grijuli tea Estate under Russell India Limited recently invited Professor of water resource Department of IIT Rurkee Dr yan Sarma for suggestion.  In the month of November 2015 Dr Sarma visited grijuli and studied the river physically and with satellite image. He suggested to construct modern technology mely Trial Dyke Jack Jetty System which is cheapest and fruitful to stop soil erosion and to recover the land which has gone under river. According to the suggestion of Dr Sarma, grijuli Tea Estate constructed 14 numbers of Trial Dyke Jack Jetty System in vulnerable points with a length of 650 meters and got success to protect massive soil erosion and to recover land.

Talking to the media, senior mager of grijuli Tea Estate, Pradip Phukan said that they constructed this Trial Dyke Jack Jetty System with a cost of 21 lakh for 650 meters.

On the other hand, Dr yan Sarma who visited grijuli on  Sunday, after visiting the river and noticing the success of the modern and cheapest technology, said that he is highly satisfied.