Arunachal: Flood-hit farmers in Borguli start relief efforts, seek govt intervention

Pasighat: The flood-affected wetland rice cultivation farmers of 'Kongkin Rikyu' from Borguli village under Mebo Sub-Division here in East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh are carrying out a voluntary flood control program for the last 3 days.

Their aim is to prevent or at least minimize the massive soil erosion that occurs during the monsoon floods in the Siang River (Brahmaputra River).

These floods pose a serious threat to the irrigation fields of around 60 families in the area.

Speaking to this scribe, Kongkin Rikyu WRC field farmers group President Joito Tayeng and General Secretary, Tokmin Sisam informed that the voluntary flood control works have been carried out for the last 3 days and may continue for a few more days.

"We are constructing the boulder bunds by our own means of collection and contribution from each affected family and well-wishers. Since there is no government funding to prevent and divert the river current to stop or minimize soil erosion, we thought of not waiting for the government's support and starting the flood control works. We firmly believe that the state government will step in before it's too late and WRC fields are all gone", added Tayeng and Sisam.

Two retired teachers from Borguli village, Pampok Lego and Joint Tayeng, who also cultivate WRC fields affected by flood erosion, said they started constructing a voluntary boulder bund to protect their land.

They explained that the Siang River, just a few meters from the fields, poses a serious erosion threat, making the construction necessary.

"If the river currents of Siang are not diverted or neutralized during this coming monsoon rain flood, the WRC field lands will be washed away. So we are doing our best on our own voluntary basis," said Lego and Tayeng.

Also, Kalingbung Tayeng, one of the youth leaders constructing the boulder bunds also added that this is their last effort from their own side to protect their agricultural fields.

"We request the state government led by Chief Minister, Pema Khandu to sanction enough funds for the flood control works along the left bank of Siang River at Kongkin areas of Borguli in order to save the WRC fields", added Kalingbung Tayeng.

The flood control boulder bund constructions are taking place at the two crucial River current striking points along the bank of Siang River near the Tatsing and Siang River confluence at the south of New Borguli village.

The effort of the WRC field farmers is to protect their respective fields jointly from massive soil erosion of the Siang river which has become a sorrow for the people of Borguli village and other villages of Monggu Banggo areas under the 39th Assembly Constituency.

The yearly flood erosion from the Siang River has already washed away hundreds and thousands of hectares of cash crops and other agricultural lands of the villagers starting from the year 2000, in which a major flash flood, popularly remembered as the 'Chinese flood' changed the entire course of Siang river from its old course of the right bank toward the left bank. 

The Siang River causes yearly soil erosion that has washed away several lifelines of the people over the past two and a half decades.

It has destroyed major infrastructure like the Mebo-Dhola Road, electrical pole connections, school buildings, hospitals, and more especially in the last 8 to 10 years.

People living in the flood-affected areas are now waiting for government support to construct permanent flood control structures along the left bank of the Siang River.

They believe the only effective solution is for the government to build road-cum-flood control bunds along the entire left bank—from Sigar village to Mer village—covering a stretch of about 20 to 30 kilometers.