Dibrugarh: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday visited the erosion-affected areas of Chabua, Balijan, Pukhurijan, Dinjan and Rohmoria in Dibrugarh district to take stock of the situation firsthand and review ongoing mitigation efforts against the ravages of the Brahmaputra.During the visit, he interacted extensively with local residents, engineers and officials to understand the scale of the erosion and the immediate as well as long-term steps needed to address it. He was accompanied by MLAs Prasanta Phukan, Taranga Gogoi, Binod Hazarika and Sanjoy Kishan, along with Dibrugarh District Commissioner Bikram Kairi.“Today I personally inspected the areas of Chabua constituency, especially Balijan, Pukhurijan, Dinjan and Rohmoria. Currently, our concerned departments are working on a war footing to bring the situation under control. However, scientific and long-term measures are essential for a permanent solution to this problem. To that end, we have also drawn up some plans,” the chief minister said.Announcing a major step towards a lasting fix, Sarma said experts from IIT Guwahati would be roped in to design a scientific, long-term strategy to tackle Brahmaputra erosion in the region. “In a day or two, I will interact with the professors of IIT Guwahati to develop a long-term solution to the problem,” he said, adding that the institute’s technical expertise would complement the state’s existing efforts.The IIT collaboration is expected to work alongside the Water Resources Department’s proposed Rs 90 crore erosion mitigation project, which aims to strengthen embankments and riverbank protection works in the worst-hit stretches of the district.During the visit, engineers of the Water Resources Department briefed the chief minister on the anti-erosion measures currently underway, including the deployment of geo-bags and geo-tubes to shore up vulnerable riverbanks. Sarma reviewed the pace and effectiveness of these measures and directed officials to expedite work in the areas facing the most severe erosion.The chief minister also spent time interacting with affected residents, listening to their concerns and assuring them of the govt’s continued support. “The govt stands firmly with the people affected by this crisis, and we will not leave any stone unturned to protect their homes and livelihoods,” he told villagers gathered during the visit.Chabua and its surrounding areas have witnessed intensifying riverbank erosion in recent years, with Balijan, Pukhurijan, Dinjan and Rohmoria among the worst affected, displacing families and swallowing agricultural land along the Brahmaputra’s banks. Authorities said that immediate anti-erosion measures will continue even as the long-term scientific plan takes shape in consultation with IIT Guwahati.
