Guwahati: Assam is considering a project to reclaim land that has emerged due to the change in the course of Brahmaputra.Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited proposed sites at Kayantol in Hajo, Kamrup district, and Sonka in Mayong, Morigaon district, on Tuesday. He discussed the project with ministers and senior officials.Sarma said large tracts of land were lost to erosion, while changes in the river’s course had caused land to emerge from its bed.“The state govt is considering a scientific study-based project to reclaim land across various locations that was lost to erosion earlier and has now emerged as high-lying ground from the riverbed. Land thus reclaimed can be made suitable for agriculture, setting up industries, or human settlement.”At Kayantol, the govt is considering reclaiming more than 2,000 bighas between Laheshwari Temple and Srihati near Hajo.In Sonka, plans have been drawn to reclaim about 1,000 bighas between Kachashila and Narasingha Hill and another 1,500 bighas between Narasingha Hill and Ganesh Hill. A third project is also being planned, Sarma said, adding that the initiatives could reclaim 4,000–5,000 bighas.District commissioners have identified other such sites, he said. “Therefore, land reclamation will be possible only through the execution of a large-scale project. The state govt will make decisions regarding such projects only after comprehensive scientific studies,” he said, adding that the initiative would require substantial funding.
