Residents of Kuruwabahi mounted strong protest yesterday against a proposed excavation of Mer-Kolabaria Beel in Numaligarh, Bokakhat subdivision, after the Bokakhat Division of the Water Resources Department held what it called a “public hearing” at Pragati Yuvak Sangha auditorium in Nagaon village. Locals dismissed the event as a “farce,” saying the meeting fell short of the legally required public hearing process.
Attendees said the department treated the session as a general meeting rather than following the procedures under the Environment Protection Act and the EIA Notification of 2006, raising tensions at the venue. Villagers and activists demanded a proper, legally compliant public hearing before any decision proceeds.
Water Resources Department officials defended the excavation plan, arguing that digging Mer-Kolabaria Beel would help control floods and reduce erosion along the Dhansiri River. Many residents rejected that claim, countering that the project would aggravate erosion and harm greater Kuruwabahi rather than protect it.
Speakers who laid out detailed opposition included Pallav Hazarika (Merkan village), Dhiren Bora (Chinakan village), Dyusmanta Das (Nagaon village), Dharani Das (Singadoria village) and Raseswar Saikia (Porongoniya village). They pressed for a long-term solution to severe Dhansiri River erosion instead of the proposed excavation, warning that proceeding without proper study and public consent would be a mistake future generations would regret.
Representatives from the Numaligarh Regional Students’ Union and JIPAL Krishak Sramik Sangha joined the protest and backed demands to cancel the excavation project. Soneshwar Narah, chief advisor of JIPAL Krishak Sramik Sangha, insisted no project should be imposed without addressing public concerns and guaranteeing fair compensation. Narah disputed the department’s Executive Engineer Rajesh Baruah’s claim that the site is government land, saying families have cultivated the area for generations and any displacement must include adequate compensation.
Residents and activists are calling for a transparent, legally valid public hearing, independent environmental assessment, and concrete measures to tackle river erosion before any excavation work begins.
Original Source: https://www.sentinelassam.com/north-east-india-news/assam-news/bokakhat-kuruwabahi-residents-oppose-mer-kolabaria-beel-excavation
Category: Assam News
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Publish Date: 2026-03-01 15:03:00
