Erosion threat to State's border security

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, July 9: Unchecked erosion has posed a threat to the State's security as it has been severely affecting border magement along the Bangladesh border in Dhubri district.

The worst hit areas are the villages of Bhogdahar, Patamari, Gaspara and Biyachara where the Brahmaputra and Gangadhar rivers have wrecked havoc.

While the State government has been indifferent to the problem, the Centre is sitting on three projects proposed by the State more than a year ago.

The three projects were approved by the technical advisory committee of the Water Resources department and are worth over Rs 5,000 lakh. They are aimed at protecting Aimongjongla, Bhasani, Howrarpara, Khoderchar, Velargaon, Baladoba and the Binchara border outpost and the Indo-Bangladesh border fencing.

“The State government has never paid attention to this problem which has assumed alarming proportions. The BJP, during its Lok Sabha election campaign, had also assured to take up anti-erosion measures and strengthen border magement if it came to power. All those remained as promises. BSF personnel are compelled to shift the location of their BoPs due to erosion,” Dhubri MLA Jahanuddin said.

There have been reports of barbed wire fencing being washed away in the past. Last year, nearly 200 m of fencing was washed away.

The BSF has been facing a serious problem in protecting their arms and ammunition in the outposts. In 2012, arms and ammunition at Mahamaya and Chowki Char outposts had to be shifted on boats after they were completely inundated, a BSF officer revealed.

Dhubri district shares a 134 km border with Bangladesh, including 44 km riverine border. The riverine border is open since there is no fencing in riverine villages while a few kilometres of fencing in some areas of the surface border have not been taken up yet.

There are 24 land BoPs and 21 riverine BoPs, one check post and one administrative base of the BSF in the Dhubri sector.