Situation at Neematighat still critical, Brahmaputra's level continues to rise

From a Correspondent

JORHAT, June 4: The situation in Neematighat still remains unchanged. In the past 24 hours, Water Resources department officials and men have been continuing anti-erosion drive on a war footing since Saturday morning. The situation is still critical as on Sunday morning the water-level of the Brahmaputra has been on increasing trend with heavy water current, informed Water Resource Department sources on Sunday at the erosion-hit site.

Water Resources Department sources said that the situation was still unchanged due to rise of water level in the river with heavy current as the erosion-hit portion could not be protected in spite of lying over several hundreds of sand-filled geobags and porcupines as both the anti-erosion materials were washed by the heavy underground water current since this morning due to heavy incessant rain at the higher altitudes of Aruchal Pradesh, galand, and several upstream areas of the River Brahmaputra.

The ferry services to and from Majuli is plying normally but the ferry ghats had to be shifted towards Borali but parking for vehicles and loading and unloading of goods has become difficult for which since Saturday morning goods-carrying ferry service to Majuli has been reduced to once a day while carrying of passengers along with vehicles has been curtailed to one and minimum two wheelers will be allowed due to heavy water current and storm-like wind in the river bed, informed inland water transport sources here.

Meanwhile, a team from Neematighat is likely to meet Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal in a day or two at his office chamber in Dispur over the negligence of the Water Resource Department and will suggest the Chief Minister to send an expert team from Guwahati to monitor the quality of work as the anti-erosion drive is not moving in a proper way along with the quality that should be, the organizations alleged.

On the other hand, security cover within the Neematighat area is on high alert so that no anti-social elements can hamper or try to do mischievous work during the emergency-like situation which never happened in the history of the area, informed police sources here.