Villagers Use Bamboo Porcupines to Fight River Erosion in Assam’s Udalguri

The residents of Simaluguri village under Harisinga in Assam’s Udalguri district have been fighting a relentless battle against the devastating erosion caused by the Bholanadi (Bhola River). With little to no government support, villagers have taken matters into their own hands—using traditional bamboo porcupines to protect their homes, farmland, and community landmarks.

For several years now, the villagers have been voluntarily pooling money and labour to construct these bamboo structures—known locally as “porcupines”—along both banks of the river. The goal: to curb the river’s erosion and prevent further loss of land and life.

The erosion by the Bholanadi is not a recent phenomenon. It has been eating away at Simaluguri’s soil for over half a decade. But the situation turned tragic and intolerable a few years ago when the village’s public burial ground was swallowed by the river, with human remains reportedly being swept away by the current. That horrifying incident galvanized the villagers into action.

Since then, Simaluguri’s residents—young and old—have taken it upon themselves to construct bamboo porcupines along the riverbanks every year before the monsoon. These traditional structures, which work by slowing down the flow of water and encouraging silt deposition, are their only hope in the absence of formal embankments or flood-control systems.

Despite the community’s sustained efforts and repeated petitions to local representatives—including the local panchayat members and the area’s legislator—no concrete government intervention has been made so far. Requests for proper embankments, erosion control infrastructure, or disaster relief have gone unanswered, villagers say.

“We have appealed many times, but nothing has come of it. Every year we face the same threat, and every year we have to protect our village on our own,” said a local resident.

With each passing year, the erosion worsens and the river inches closer to what remains of the village. 

ALSO READ: Erosion Ravages Assam's Dhubri and Barpeta; Mosque, School Washed Away