Erosion by Subansiri threatens existence of historic Ghunasuti in Lakhimpur

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Ghunasuti, the historically famous area in the district of Lakhimpur, is facing a threat to its existence. The panic of erosion caused by the River Subansiri, the largest tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra, has haunted the people of the Ghunasuti, which is the background of Miri Jiyori, the masterpiece novel by ‘Upanyas Samrat’ Rajani Kanta Bordoloi. The erosion of the river has reduced the volume of the area year after year. On the contrary, no permanent erosion-prevention measures have been taken by the State Government or by the district administration.

This truth came to light on Tuesday through the ‘Gaonloi Jaon Bolok’ (Let’s Go to Villages) programme which was taken up by the journalists of North Lakhimpur Press Club. The journalists organized a Raaij Mel (meeting with the people) in addition to making a spot survey of the erosion-affected areas. The erosion-affected people alleged that Ghunasuti had been affected by the erosion of Subansiri since 2003 and the erosion had assumed a demonic status from 2012. As per their information, the erosion of the river has eroded away a large part of Ghnasuti Ghat, Kaliyani, Kaliyani-Baligaon and No. 2 Naharani villages.

On the other hand, the 4-km long guide dam constructed in 2003 for the prevention of Subansiri flood to protect the people of 26 villages of Ghunasuti, was eroded away by the river from the part of Kaliyani Baligaon to No 2 Naharani village in 2004. As a consequence, the riverine villages get submerged as water-level rises in the Subansiri.

Meanwhile, erosion wiped out the existence of Kaliyani-Baligaon village while a large tract of cropland owned by the villagers of No. 2 Naharani village and adjacent villages and their residential houses and household lands were engulfed by the river. Under such circumstances, homeless families are living a vagrant’s life. No step has been taken to rehabilitate the landless and homeless families.

Ramesh Saikia, a conscious citizen of the area, stated that 40 erosion-affected families of No. 2 Naharani and 30 of Kaliyani village had been suffering a lot after losing their homes and property due to erosion. Regarding the issue, the erosion-affected people expressed vehement resentment against the district administration and the successive State Governments, flaying their lackadaisical attitude towards mitigating the burning problems. The activists of the area, Jogen Saikia, Madhav Saikia, Utpal Mili, Rajen Talukder, Jadumoni Chutia and Pradip Chutia informed that the people of Ghunasuti were compelled to organize bhaona sabha in order to satisfy the River Subansiri so that the erosion stops. Attending in the Raaij Mel, the activists of TMPK, MMK and TMMK demanded the district administration and State Government to initiate erosion-flood preventive measures immediately.

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