Assam: Floods and erosion emerge as decisive issues in Dibrugarh elections

A CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: Flood and erosion have emerged as two of the major election issues in Dibrugarh for the Assembly polls 2026. Dibrugarh, a historic city of Assam, has been grappling with these two problems for decades. According to reports, the landmass of Dibrugarh has been shrinking, with the Brahmaputra river changing its course towards the city due to unabated erosion.

“This year, floods and erosion will be the main issues in the polls. Continuous erosion near Dibrugarh town will be the major issue, and the people of the city need a permanent solution for this problem,” said Ranjan Sharma, a resident of Dibrugarh.

He further added, “We want the government that comes to power to prioritize the decade-old erosion problem and provide a lasting solution.” Since 1956, several preventive measures have been implemented in Dibrugarh city and the district, including the construction of land dykes, stone and timber spurs, a 10-km-long dyke from Mijan Mothola to Mohanaghat and Bogibeel, and a 22-km-long drain crisscrossing the city.

The Maijan area has been grappling with massive erosion since last year, and the issue resurfaced on Saturday, creating fear among the residents. “The Water Resources Department immediately deployed geo-bags, but it is not enough to control the marauding erosion by the Brahmaputra river,” said Raju Chetri, another resident of Maijan. He added, “Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan has failed to address the problem. We need a permanent and scientific way to solve the perennial problem.”

In the forthcoming Assam Assembly Election 2026, Mainak Patra of AJP will take on the BJP heavyweight, Prasanta Phukan, who will be looking to win the Dibrugarh seat for the 5th consecutive time.

A political analyst opined, “Mainak Patra is a Bengali and has been fielded from the Dibrugarh seat to pull Bengali votes. Bengali votes form the deciding factor in Dibrugarh, which has been with the BJP since 2006. Despite this, this is the first time that a Bengali candidate has been fielded from the seat by any major party.”

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