SADIYA, March 12 — For the Brahmaputra Board engineers, used to prepare master plans to save the region from the vagaries of floods and erosion in the region, actually executing a flood and erosion control scheme is a new challenge. The Centre has asked the Board to take up the proposed Rs 400 crore composite scheme to check erosion by the Brahmaputra upstream of Dibrugarh in August last year. The reason being that central grants to Assam are not properly utilized.
After officials of Brahmaputra Board placated the literally bruised Assam Flood Control department, work began in earnest to block a southern channel of the Debang, which connects to the Brahmaputra near Dholla. The river experts of the Board came to the conclusion earlier that unless the Debang’s southern thrust was not checked near Dholla, the Rohmaria erosion would continue, and would one day eat away the entire Dibru Saikhowa National Park as well as a part of Dibrugarh city. Experts from the Assam Flood Control Department, Central Water Commission and the Central Water and Power Research Station initiated a joint inspection of the Hatighuli and Dholla section of the Brahmaputra. On November 20 last year, the team presented its findings and recommendations.
Accordingly, it was decided that ingenious ‘river training’ techniques would be implemented for the first time in India around Dholla. The main components of the scheme being the erection of RCC porcupine and bamboo cribe screens and a 3 km long retirement bund. The porcupines and the cribs are being placed over a 4.2 km length. All these structures are on the south bank of the Debang at Banhbari, off Dholla. At Hatighuli, a massive 21 feet tall earthen embankment is being erected along a 4 km stretch, to prevent the Brahmaputra waters from entering Dholla and its surroundings during the high flood season.
Work on all the projects is progressing on a war footing. The initial first phase of the works is likely to cost a little over Rs 8 crore. Brahmaputra Board chairman MK Sharma, accompanied by the Board’s financial advisor N Pant and general manager A Borkotoky, inspected the progress of works on Tuesday. Speaking to The Assam Tribune at Banhbari, Sharma said he has asked to complete the first phase by March 31, so that the impact of the completed works can be felt during this year’s floods itself. He seemed more or less satisfied at the pace of work.
As could be witnessed by this reporter, the entire Banhbari area, located right on the Brahmaputra between Sadiya and Dholla, hundreds of workers are working round the clock. Work there began on January 16 this year. Considering this, and the progress made, the contractors do seem to be in a race against time. As on Tuesday, about 85 per cent of the entire river channelizing work at Banhbari has been completed.
A Brahmaputra Board engineer said the Banhbari experiment is basically aimed at aiding siltation along the debang’s south bank. “The silt would help the river’s water to take a western route instead of a southern thrust,” he said. If the experiment were successful, the Debang and the Brahmaputra would be flowing in parallel upto Surkhe Chapori, where the two would merge. This is expected to permanently solve the erosion threat to Dibru Saikhowa national park and at Rohmaria. In the second phase of work, scheduled to commence later this year, massive spurs would be constructed all along the Brahmaputra from Dibrugarh to Dholla to enable siltation on the south bank of the river. This should be the long term anti-flood and anti erosion measure people have been demanding for ages.