Soil erosion threat looms large in Assam

The rising threat of soil erosion in the aftermath of the havocwreaked by the first wave of flood has been giving sleepless nights to peopleof riverside villages located close to Brahmaputra River.

Majuli, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Dhemaji, Nazira, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon, Nagaon etc. facing twin threats of flood and erosion.

While embankments along the Brahmaputra River were awaiting renovation as they were on the verge of collapse, some portions have been washed away in the torrential rain, further weakening them.

Majuli people fear the embankments may cave in anytime soon, eroding villages close to its mouth. Not only Majuli, many corruption cases regarding construction of embankments had also come out in almost every corner of the state.

Many families have been rendered homeless due to erosion in the past years. However, no steps have been taken to construct concrete embankments to prevent erosion by Brahmaputra. Locals feared more families would be affected by erosion.

Thousands of people lost their homestead lands and agricultural fields to the river that is menacingly inching closer to land.

Apparently,erosion is reported from this stretch of the river every year.