Layers of sand deposits have transformed once-fertile agricultural lands into barren fields in several villages located west of Assam’s Lakhimpur district, which borders Biswanath district. The area, usually bustling with harvest activities at this time of year, now appears desolate, as paddy fields are buried under thick layers of sand washed ashore by the overflowing Sesa River during last year’s monsoon season.
Villages such as No. 1 Sesa, No. 2 Sesa, Sesa-Rangajan, Panigaon, Phutabhog, Khalihamari, and others in the Narayanpur Revenue Circle of Lakhimpur have been severely affected, with extensive sand deposits accumulated in May and June this year. The agricultural output in these flood-stricken areas has reached zero, as the sand covering the fields has rendered paddy cultivation impossible, plunging thousands of villagers into economic distress and despair.
Local residents attribute these significant sand deposits to the absence of flood protection measures on the left bank of the Sesa River. They point out that the construction of an embankment on the right bank by the Biswanath district Water Resources Department has shifted floodwaters towards the eastern bank, creating adverse effects for the villages on the western side of Lakhimpur.
While the Sesa embankment — built with geo-tubes and sluice gates on the right bank — successfully shielded parts of Biswanath district from monsoon flooding this year, the left bank remained unprotected, leading to catastrophic flooding in Lakhimpur during late May.
These sand deposits have not only devastated agricultural lands but have also disrupted infrastructure, including roads, schools, and community centers known as Naam Ghars. The roads are now uneven and difficult for vehicles to navigate. The Srimanta LP School in Sesa-Rangajan village suffers from thick layers of sand, and the accumulation has raised the level of a nearby Naam Ghar.
In light of these challenges, villagers on the left bank of the Sesa River are urgently calling for permanent flood control measures from state authorities to prevent further devastation before the next monsoon season arrives.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/assam-sesa-river-sand-deposits-turn-lakhimpur-farmlands-barren-villagers-demand-flood-control.html
Category: Assam,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2025-12-18 17:17:00
