Dispur wakes up to sullied Brahmaputra

Assam government takes up with Centre the issue of Brahmaputra waters turning ‘unusually turbid’

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Dec 4: After almost 10 days since the change in quality and texture of water of the Brahmaputra was first noticed, Dispur has filly woken up to the gravity of the situation. 

Close of the heels of reports of the mighty river upstream – in its avatar as the Siang in Aruchal Pradesh – turning turbid, changes were witnessed in the colour and quality of water as it flowed into Assam valley Assam on 25th November. However, while the Aruchal Pradesh government was found to be quick in its response and had taken up the matter with the Centre already, its counterpart in Assam was found to be somewhat laggard. 

Nevertheless, Dispur has now taken up the issue with New Delhi. State Water Resources Minister Keshav Mahanta said as the State government doesn’t have any authority to deal with a foreign country, it has urged the Centre to take up the matter with Chi and find the reasons why the river water quality has undergone a change in the last few weeks. 

The Brahmaputra origites in Tibet as Yarlung Tsangpo, before flowing in Aruchal Pradesh as Siang and then joins with the Lohit before flowing into Assam. 

Meanwhile, while the Water Resources department filly collected water samples of the river on Monday on the instruction of its Minister in-charge, Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) – tasked with pollution control – was found clueless till afternoon. When The Sentinel first contacted PCBA around 12.30 pm, its officials couldn’t provide any plausible explation on the situation. When The Sentinel again contacted the board around 3.45 pm, it was then informed that PCBA had issued instruction to its ground staff at Dibrugarh and Tezpur to collect samples of the river water for tests.

According to Pabitra Hazarika, who is posted at Majuli as Junior Engineer, Inland Water Transport (IWT) department, people of the world’s largest river island first noticed change in water quality of the Brahmaputra on 25th November. “Its turbidity is unprecedented. Even senior citizens of Majuli have admitted of never having witnessed such a phenomenon in their lifetime,” he added. 

Another IWT official posted in the city said he had never witnessed such a drastic change in water quality of the Brahmaputra in the last 30 years of association with the department and the river itself. “River water is clean around this time of the year and picnickers often use it for drinking and cooking. And even river dolphins are seen during this time. However, after the water turning turbid, the dolphins are not seen. Many boatmen feel that these magnificent aquatic mammals might have been dead due to the abnormally high turbidity in the water,” he explained. 

Pointing to the high turbidity in the Siang river water, East Arunchal Lok Sabha MP Ninong Ering had shot off a memorandum to Prime Minister rendra Modi on 25th November and sought his intervention on the matter. According to the memorandum, the Siang had become “muddy and slushy”, which was “unusual”. 

Thereafter, based on water samples collected on 27th November, East Siang district Public Health Engineering (PHE) department found Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) caused by concentration of suspended or dissolved particulate materials in the river water at 425, whereas the permissible range is 0 to 5 NTU. The PHE department report also found high iron content in the river water – 10 particles per million (PPM) against the permissible limit of just 0.1 to 2 PPM.

According to officials of D Ering Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located on an island of the Siang, many domestic buffaloes had reportedly died on Assam side already.

Aruchal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had told reporters on Saturday at Paslghat that his government was concerned over the matter and was in constant touch with New Delhi so that the Centre could take up the issue with Chi.

On the other hand, Ering regretted the fact that the Prime Minister is yet to respond to his memorandum. 

“I feel sad at not having received any communication from his side so far despite sending him the memorandum on 25th November. May be since the issue concerns the Northeast, it has not received due attention from the Centre. But the matter should be seriously taken up with Chi,” the East Aruchal Lok Sabha MP quipped.