AASU Launches 12-Hour Hunger Strike over Halted Anti-Erosion Work in Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh: The Dibrugarh Unit of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) launched a 12-hour hunger strike on Monday at Poolbagan as a mark of protest against the recurring riverbank erosion along the Brahmaputra River.

The AASU members expressed grave concern against the issue and termed the “lackadaisical and indifferent approach” of the Water Resources Department towards anti-erosion measures.

Protesting AASU leaders alleged that anti-erosion works along the Maijan to Bogibeel stretch has been halted for the past week without prior official explanation, which has resulted inland loss for thousands of residents.

An AASU member said that despite repeated assurances, the speed of anti-erosion works in the stretch has been very slow.

“Every year, people here lose their land to erosion. Despite repeated assurances, the speed of anti-erosion work has been extremely sluggish. For the past one week, the work has completely stopped, and no clarity has been given by the department,” the AASU member said.

Further, the AASU also asserted that erosion has emerged as one of the biggest threats in Dibrugarh. They also emphasised that the riverbank protection has been a long-standing demand and they have been raising this issue in various platforms.

The AASU also alleged the lack of any proactive intervention from the local legislator, stating that the Dibrugarh MLA has not made any efforts to address the issue. “We have not witnessed any meaningful effort by the Dibrugarh MLA to address the crisis. He visits during the monsoon, declares the area safe, and leaves. However, the ground reality tells a very different story, as erosion continues unabated,” an AASU member said.

The students’ union stated that erosion is a permanent crisis for the people of Dibrugarh. They demanded authorities to resume the anti-erosion work immediately and ensure sustained protection measures. They warned that their agitations would intensify in the coming days if authorities failed to resume anti-erosion works.

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