Erosion Crisis in Assam as Schools Lost and Villages Vanish Again

Relentless riverbank erosion in Assam has triggered widespread devastation across multiple districts, displacing families and threatening critical infrastructure. From the Dikrong River endangering the lone higher secondary school in Bihpuria, to the Brahmaputra swallowing homes, roads, and schools in Mohochora and Roumari Pathar, the situation has escalated into a humanitarian crisis. With over a hundred families rendered homeless and local communities gripped by fear, mounting anger is now being directed at both public representatives and the administration for their continued apathy and inaction in the face of this growing disaster.

Bihpuria: The Devachuthan Janajati Higher Secondary School, located under the Bahgara Dhunaguri Gaon Panchayat in the Bihpuria region, is facing a severe threat due to intense erosion by the Dikrong River.

The school, the only higher educational institution in the interior area, is now on the verge of being washed away by the river's aggressive currents. Local authorities have blamed the alarming situation on the gross negligence of the Water Resources Department, whose inaction has allowed the erosion to reach dangerously close to the school premises.

With the river now eroding land alarmingly close to the school buildings, panic has gripped the school authorities and local residents. The administration has yet to intervene with any preventive measures, even as the threat continues to grow by the day.

Chenga: Riverbank erosion by the Brahmaputra has taken a devastating turn in Mohochora village under Chenga, displacing 20–25 families during the first wave of floods this year.

According to local residents, the village has been suffering from gradual erosion for the past 4–5 years, during which over a hundred families have lost their homes. A government school has already been swallowed by the river, and the village’s only concrete road has also vanished due the erosion.

Despite the worsening situation, locals have accused area MLA Ashraful Hussain of failing to take any concrete measures to combat the erosion. The affected families have now urged the Water Resources Minister and the District Commissioner to take immediate steps to save Mohochora village from further destruction.

Barpeta: Continuous and aggressive erosion by the Brahmaputra River has left the residents of Roumari Pathar in despair, as one village after another vanishes into the river's swelling currents. Located on the eastern edge of Barpeta district and bordering western Nalbari, the area is now on the brink of being completely wiped out.

Over the past few days, nearly 20 villages in the eastern part of Barpeta have come under severe threat. Entire portions of land, ranging from five to twenty meters in a single day, are being consumed by the river. For many, their dream homes have disappeared right before their eyes, leaving them without a roof or address.

The villagers of Roumari Pathar are now displaced overnight, with no sign of relief. Local residents have expressed their anguish over the inaction of their MLA, Ashraful Hussain, accusing him of remaining indifferent and disconnected from their plight. Despite the growing crisis, both the administration and the government remain silent spectators.

What was once a thriving rural community has now turned into a land of despair, as the cries of the homeless echo across the eroded banks of the mighty Brahmaputra.

Also Read: Erosion Threatens Assam Villages as Rivers Swallow Land