Government Draws Flak for ‘Lackadaisical’ Attitude to Check Erosion

Our Correspondent

TINSUKIA: The Flood Erosion Resistance Struggle Forum (FERSF) Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts has strongly condemned the lackadaisical attitude of the Assam government to check erosion problem in the twin districts even as two schemes prepared by the Water Resources Department with outlay of Rs 87.48 crore for Rahmaria and Rs 14.141 crore for Dirak Chumoni received concurrence from the Technical Advisory Committee in October 16, 2014 and financial approval on May 5, 2017.

The FERSF has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Gauhati High Court seeking the court’s intervention to release the grant before the onset of monsoon. In a press meet held at the Tinsukia Press Club on Tuesday, the media advisor of the Forum, Santanu Goswami alleged that despite the Chief Minister’s directive to the officials concerned to expedite the work, nothing progressed. Its efforts to mitigate erosion problem during the past five years have almost gone in vain. Finding no alternative, the Forum has approached the court for justice, Goswami pointed out. Binod Kedia, president, and Prakash Rai, general secretary of FERSF, were present in the press meet among other office bearers.

A large part of the twin districts is under the grip of severe erosion. Sadiya, Dirak Chumini Bhojoni, Hatighuli, Laina, Kordoiguri, Bagjan, Dinjan, Geleki and Muluk Gaon- Chief Minister’s own village - are facing erosion problem and several thousand acres of fertile land have been washed away by Brahmaputra River and its tributaries in the past couple of years.