Silent Disaster: How Burhi Dihing Erosion Is Eating Away Tingkhong’s Future

“If this erosion continues, the embankment will collapse one day,” says a worried farmer from Sologuri No. 3 in Assam’s Tingkhong under Dibrugarh district, as the mighty Burhi Dihing River chews through fertile land inch by inch.

That fear is now a reality for dozens of families. Every morning, they wake up wondering if their fields — the only source of livelihood — will survive another day. In this small corner of Assam, riverbank erosion is no longer a seasonal nuisance. It has turned into a slow-moving disaster, silently swallowing hundreds of bighas of farmland, forcing families to the edge of displacement, and threatening a lifeline — the Aghonibari-Khowang embankment.

Voices from the Edge

The stories from villagers like Pulak and Robin Sonowal (names changed) sound almost identical. Officials come. They click pictures. They take notes. Then they leave. The promises of geo-bags, anti-erosion projects, and safety never materialize. Year after year, the river creeps closer while hope drifts further away.

“This isn’t just bad luck,” one farmer says bitterly. “It’s neglect. Total neglect.”

This isn’t just a local problem — it’s a symptom of Assam’s deep-rooted failure to tackle one of its oldest enemies: erosion.

Assam’s Forgotten Disaster

Floods dominate headlines every monsoon. Relief camps, rescue operations, photo-ops — they grab attention. But erosion? It barely makes a whisper.

Unlike floods that eventually recede, erosion doesn’t stop. It changes maps, erases entire villages, and destroys generations of security. In Tingkhong alone, villagers estimate hundreds of bighas of farmland have vanished, land worth lakhs gone forever. And with it, the only means of livelihood for families who depend entirely on paddy cultivation.

Yet, this slow-moving disaster rarely commands the urgency it deserves.

A Crisis Waiting to Explode

What makes the situation truly dangerous is the looming threat to the Aghonibari-Khowang connecting embankment. This isn’t just a mud wall — it’s a crucial link for trade, transport, and flood protection. Today, erosion is barely 50 meters away from it.

If that embankment gives way, Tingkhong will face more than just crop loss. Entire villages could be washed out. Connectivity will snap. The cost of recovery will multiply overnight — a lesson Assam has painfully learned before.

Policy Promises, Zero Action

The Assam Water Resources Department knows this story well. The same script plays out every year: surveys, site visits, photo documentation, and official statements. Geo-bags and anti-erosion measures are announced — on paper. On the ground? Nothing changes.

The technology exists. Funds are allocated. So why the paralysis? Why does the state still scramble every monsoon, despite knowing these erosion patterns for decades?

Because Assam’s governance system is stuck in a cycle of reactive firefighting instead of proactive planning. And the price is paid by farmers standing knee-deep in uncertainty.

The Human Cost

For villagers like Robin Sonowal, this isn’t about policy debates. It’s about survival.
“If this continues, the embankment won’t last,” he says, his voice heavy with dread. He has seen acres vanish overnight, and he knows his home could be next.

The anxiety here is raw and real: What happens when the last strip of land is gone? Where will we go when displacement becomes certain?

Time to Act, Not Just Assess

Erosion control can no longer be a seasonal talking point. Assam needs permanent embankments with modern engineering, real-time monitoring of vulnerable stretches, and community-driven stabilization projects.

If Tingkhong loses this fight to Burhi Dihing, it won’t just be a natural disaster. It will be a man-made failure — of governance, of policy, and of political will.

Because when a river swallows land, it doesn’t just take soil. It takes identity, heritage, and the fragile dream of a secure life.

Also Read: Is Assam’s New Protected List in ‘Tirap Belt’ Against the Interest of Micro Tribes?