NEW DELHI, Dec 12 ? In a first-ever attempt of its kind to save Majuli Island, Assam Government and Satradhikars have jointly called for expeditious clearance of Rs 30 crore project to protect the Island besides demanding a bridge across Barhmaputra connecting Jorhat and Lakhimpur districts. A joint delegation led by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, few of his ministerial colleagues, four senior Satradhikars today urged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to come to the rescue of the seat of the Vaishnavite culture.
The delegation of the Satradhikars included Pitambar Dev Goswami of Aauniati Satra, Jnardhan Dev Goswami of North Kamalabari Satra, Kushakanta Dev Goswami of Samuguri Satra and Narayan Chandra Dev Goswami of New Kamalbari Satra. The Ministerial delegation that accompanied them included State Flood Control Minister Nurzamal Sarkar, Minister of State for Planning and Development Himanta Biswa Sarma, Ranee Narah M.P. and Rajiv Lochan Pegu MLA.
For their first meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi, the Satradhikars came prepared gifting him with a traditional musk of Ravaana, a colourful hand-fan, a sarai, a silk scarf, besides a gamocha among others. They also submitted a separate memorandum. In its petition to the Prime Minister, his attention was drawn to non-release of Rs 30 crore promised in 1998 for protection of Majuli from ravages of flood and erosion.
In 1999, the State Government proposed to Brahmaputra Board to take over the protection works for Majuli Island completely. Consequent upon which Brahmaputra Board has proposed a scheme of Rs 86 crore for protection of the Island to the Ministry of Water Resources. However, no work has been taken up, the Chief Minister said.
?In view of the great cultural heritage of Majuli Island it is imperative that protection of Majuli is taken up on emergent basis, ?the Chief Minister urged seeking a direction to Water Resources Minister to expedite the Project. A demand for a bridge connecting the Island was also placed before the Prime Minister. A bridge connecting Majuli on the South bank of Brahmaputra with Jorhat and with Lakhimpur on the North Bank will not only benefit the economy and 1.6 lakh people of Majuli, but will also open this cultural treasure to the outside world.
This bridge would also serve strategic interests in the area by linking Upper Assam with Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge could be named ?Sankar-Madhab Setu?, it was suggested. The Chief Minister in his letter also pressed the Prime Minister to ask the Ministry of Culture to expedite the process of nomination of Majuli Island as a World Heritage Site. The Island of Majuli has been suffering from severe erosion and floods. Earlier there were more than 70 satras at the Island, however, due to recurring erosion many of them have been lost and currently there are only 14 major satras.
The area of Majuli Island in 1950 was 1245 square km. However, there has been steady erosion of the Island and on an average 14 sq.km of area is lost yearly in erosion. The present area of the main Island is now restricted to 552 sq.km. In their petition, the Satradhikars sought the Prime Minister?s intervention in saving the Island.