Rising concern over flood preparedness has focused attention on anti-erosion work in Hatighuli, in the Dibru-Saikhowa area of Tinsukia district, after local organisations accused the State Water Resources Department of carrying out inadequate and poorly planned interventions. A delegation from the Dibrugarh-Tinsukia District Flood and Erosion Prevention Struggle Forum, led by president Binod Kedia, visited the site on Sunday and criticised the measures as insufficient to protect homes, farmland and livelihoods ahead of the monsoon.
Criticism centers on the limited use of geo-bags along vulnerable stretches of the Brahmaputra bank near Kenopsa (also called Canopus or Kenopus). Residents and observers say only a small number of geo-bags have been deployed and that this scale is unlikely to withstand strong currents during peak flows. Geo-bags are large, fabric-filled sacks used to stabilise banks; critics say the current deployment amounts to a short-term fix rather than a durable defence.
Forum members warned the present works could be washed away once water levels rise and described the exercise as an “eyewash,” questioning the effectiveness of relying on a handful of geo-bags against the Brahmaputra’s force. The group reiterated its demand for a scientifically designed, comprehensive solution to the region’s erosion crisis rather than ad hoc interventions.
The forum also pointed to the shifting course of the Dibang River, which originates in Arunachal Pradesh, as a major factor aggravating erosion in Hatighuli. It argued that unless the Dibang is properly managed or guided back toward its earlier channel, temporary measures will have limited impact.
Allegations have surfaced from residents about possible vested interests involving officials, contractors and political figures; these claims remain unverified but reflect growing mistrust. The forum has urged immediate construction of reinforced embankments and the use of more durable options such as geo-tube spurs.
With water levels beginning to rise ahead of the monsoon, locals warn delays could bring severe damage in the coming months. Hatighuli’s long history of shifting channels, heavy sediment flow and seasonal flooding has displaced families and damaged farmland, intensifying calls for evidence-based, long-term flood and erosion management.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/environment/story/assam-hatighuli-residents-slam-ineffective-anti-erosion-work-ahead-of-monsoon-1375507-2026-04-14?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-04-14 15:45:00
