Without waiting for Govt aid, villagers take up flood control measures on self help basis

|Maksam TAYENG|

PASIGHAT, Feb 16: The people of Seram and Borguli, the worst flash flood hit villages under Mebo sub-division of East Siang district have carried out a major flood control/diversion work on traditional style by making porcupine spurs and others. 

A total of 15 porcupine spurs were erected by the villagers from Seram by using bamboo and other items on self help basis without waiting for any government aid. The spurs were raised along the major river current striking points considering the possible repellant of river current at the time of flash flood.

The same kind of flood protection works were voluntarily erected by people of Borguli village by engaging JCBs, tractors and others.

It is worth mentioning here that the massive flash flood at mighty Siang last year had caused huge damage of agricultural land besides washing away of houses, etc due to massive soil erosion. 

While people of this region including parts of Assam in the lower course suffered a lot, it is also worth questioning that the much anticipated inter ministerial team from central government who were likely to visit these flood hit region didn't turn up till date reason better known to the government. The possibility of central team visit was informed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his advisor and Mebo MLA Lombo Tayeng.

On the other hand, the Brahmaputra Board Chairman who had also assured to inspect the affected areas in November last year also forgot to visit - perhaps the lives and properties of this part of country are less important or less worth to them.

While talking to MP Ninong Ering last year when the people of Siang and Brahmaputra basin were in distress due to repeated flash flood, the Board Chairman Rajiv Yadav had assured to inspect the flood affected areas in East Siang in November. But Yadav failed to show sympathy with the affected people and no expert teams from either Brahmaputra Board or Ministry of Water Resources turn up to study the problem to short out any possible solution.

Under such situation, in the absence of flood control measures and works from the government to divert or stop further erosion,  the villagers are left alone with such voluntary flood control works which is unlikely to cope up the massive current of Siang river at time of China releasing more volume of water on Siang as digging and diversion works are going at other side of international border in Tibet due to which colour of Siang river hasn't got cleaned yet as it used to be in the past.

CM Khandu had assured to sanction Rs 35 crore for flood protection works in these areas during his recent visit to Mebo at Kiyit village while launching the Arunachal Rising campaign. But the funds flow is likely to delay due to forthcoming simultaneous parliamentary & assembly elections.