Residents across large parts of Barchala Legislative Assembly Constituency in Sonitpur district have appealed to newly elected MLA Ritubaran Sarma to urgently address dilapidated roads, failing rural water schemes and recurring river erosion that they say have kept the area mired in underdevelopment. The appeal, circulated on June 15 from Tezpur, follows a decade-long tenure by former MLA Ganesh Kumar Limbu during which residents say promised development did not materialise.
Locals say several key roads remain in a dangerous state despite government claims of infrastructure progress. They point to the Sagoli Ahot Tol–Khelmati–Bandarmari road, which links to NH-52, and the Bandarmari–Bindukuri road via Muamari as examples of routes pocked with knee‑deep potholes that have caused accidents and fatalities. Residents report repeated representations to authorities but say little remedial work has followed.
Erosion by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, particularly the Gabharu and Belsiri rivers, adds to the crisis. Villages and farmland in Saraka Baligaon, Bihaguri Jaoni Gaon, Belsiri and neighbouring localities suffer annual loss of cultivable land during the monsoon, leaving many farmers destitute and uncertain about future planting cycles.
Agriculture remains the main livelihood for most households in the constituency, but farmers complain of inadequate irrigation support that has hampered preparation for Sali cultivation. “For the last few years, we have been experiencing scanty rainfall during the summer season, which has severely affected our agricultural activities. Had there been sufficient irrigation facilities, we could have managed our farming operations more effectively,” said a group of frustrated farmers.
Residents also raised alarm over what they described as continuing occupation of government and indigenous land by suspected illegal settlers, naming areas such as Garuduba‑Teligaon, Thelamara, Kolakushi, Bindukuri, Belsiri, Singri and Barchala Bhangamandir. They welcomed intensified eviction drives by the BJP‑led Assam government but said many tracts remain occupied, posing a threat to indigenous communities’ interests.
A further grievance concerns several Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) projects intended to provide safe drinking water. Locals allege multiple schemes, funded at crore‑rupee scales, have become defunct due to poor construction and lack of maintenance, leaving many rural households without reliable potable water.
Residents say they now expect the new MLA to set clear, time‑bound priorities on road repairs, durable anti‑erosion measures, irrigation and restoration of functioning water supply schemes to halt the constituency’s long slide and protect farmers’ livelihoods.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/barchala-residents-seek-new-mlas-intervention-on-roads-erosion-agriculture
Category: Assam,Featured
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Publish Date: 2026-06-15 10:07:00
