Erosion Threatens Assam Villages as Rivers Swallow Land

Relentless riverbank erosion across several regions of Assam has plunged thousands into distress, displacing families, destroying homes, farmland, and infrastructure. From the Brahmaputra’s fury in Mohchora and Fakirganj to the Lali River’s devastation in Jonai’s Badalpur and the alarming loss of forest land to the Burhi Dihing in Jagun, the situation has turned dire. As rivers continue to swallow land and livelihoods, affected residents are calling for immediate government action to halt the destruction and secure their future.

Chenga: The Brahmaputra River has unleashed severe erosion in Mohchora under Assam’s Chenga constituency, creating panic among residents living along its banks. In areas like Kachumara and East Mohchora, continuous erosion for the past two days has swallowed several homes and land, leaving families devastated.

Terrified villagers watch helplessly as the river consumes their homes and ancestral land. Many affected residents have been forced to set up makeshift shelters in safer locations, while others prepare to abandon their dreams; homes built with years of hard work now lie in ruins.

Displaced families are now migrating to different parts of the state in search of work and survival, with daily wage labour becoming the only option for many who have lost everything.

Locals have urged Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma to intervene and take immediate measures to halt the Brahmaputra’s relentless erosion and save what remains of their homes and livelihoods.

Jonai: Massive erosion caused by the Lali River in the Badalpur area of Jonai, Assam, has left residents in distress and severed the only road connecting several villages to the outside world. The continuing riverbank erosion is threatening lives and property across Ramdhan Dikhari Gaon Panchayat under the greater Badalpur region.

Despite hundreds of families already losing their homes, farmlands, temples, and even educational institutions to the river’s fury in recent times, the erosion has shown no signs of abating. Several families have seen their homes and valuable possessions swept away into the river over the past few days.

Adding to the crisis, the only road used by residents of nearly five villages, Badalpur, Borman Gaon, Kangkan Chapori, Lamba Chapori, and others, has now fallen prey to the river’s advancing edge, leaving locals anxious and cut off from essential services.

In the face of rising desperation and little administrative intervention, some villagers have resorted to performing traditional rituals and prayers along the riverbank, hoping to seek divine intervention for relief from the ongoing devastation.

Locals have called on the government and district administration to take immediate and effective steps to control the erosion and restore connectivity before the situation worsens.

Jagun: While World Environment Day is being marked across the globe with tree plantations and calls for a greener, more sustainable planet, a stark contrast unfolds in Assam’s Jagun region, where vast stretches of forest land are vanishing into the Burhi Dihing River.

The global observance of June 5 aims to promote awareness about environmental conservation, with this year’s slogan emphasising that "Only when trees exist, can humanity survive." However, even on this symbolic day, the devastating effects of riverbank erosion tell a different story in the protected forest areas of the Digboi Forest Division.

Under the jurisdiction of the Jagun Forest Range, nearly 80 hectares of forest land along the Burhi Dihing River have already been lost to erosion. Despite the forest department's consistent efforts, planting thousands of saplings each year to restore green cover, these newly grown trees are now under threat due to the encroaching river.

Every year, the river slowly but steadily eats away at the forest land, and this year is no exception. Thousands of trees, carefully nurtured as part of afforestation drives, are on the verge of being submerged.

This troubling development on World Environment Day highlights the urgent need for effective and sustainable riverbank protection measures to safeguard both forest ecosystems and the environment they support.

South Salmara: Fakirganj in South Salmara district is reeling under the devastating impact of severe riverbank erosion caused by the Brahmaputra River, particularly in the Wahab Bazar area. The relentless erosion has left riverside residents panicked and displaced.

Over 100 families have already lost their homes to the river, while several others have been forced to evacuate from Wahab Bazar to safer locations. The erosion, which has been ongoing for years, has now reached alarming levels.

Thousands of bighas of agricultural land, along with several government and private educational institutions and religious sites, have already been swallowed by the river. Hundreds of homes have also vanished into the riverbed, leaving many families homeless.

The erosion now threatens to sever the only major road connecting Shalkata to Guwahati. Residents fear that transportation links could be cut off at any moment, isolating the region completely unless immediate protective measures are taken.

Locals are urging urgent government intervention to prevent further destruction and ensure the safety of affected communities.

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