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Brahmaputra threatens
prized tea heartland

Unabated erosion by the channel of Brahmaputra, flowing along the southern fringe of the Dibru-Saikhowa national park, is threatening to wipe out large tea estates in the north-eastern state.

Many villages, the army base at Dinjan, Mohanbari airport in Dibrugarh district and Dibru-Saikhowa national park are facing the same fate.

A source in the Assam branch of the Indian Tea Association said, ''The problem's dimension is such that it is beyond the capacity of the tea industry to tackle it on its own.''

Some severely-affected tea gardens include Digulturrung, Nalini, Baghjan, Rungagora, Baljan, Dinjan, Thanai, Greenwood and Maijan. The Oakland division of the Thanai tea estate in Dibrugarh district was swallowed by the Brahmaputra channel. Its 350 hectares of plantation, executive bungalows, staff quarters and the garden hospital were wiped out.

All these century-old tea estates have become part of folklore in Assam and are considered prized possessions of the tea industry for their high-quality tea produce.

Sources in the tea industry said that damage caused by erosion in that sector in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts during 1992-99 was estimated at over Rs 5.40 billion.

The erosion-hit tea gardens over 1500 hectares during the period, in addition to executive bungalows, staff quarters, a garden healthcare unit and even a tea manufacturing factory.

The association constituted a flood damage and soil erosion sub-committee under the chairmanship of S N Srivastava, managing director of Assam Company Limited, to co-ordinate efforts to save the tea heartland of upper Assam from erosion.

Sub-committee members have been approaching various agencies in the state and central governments, seeking emergency measures to mitigate the threat of erosion.

Memoranda were submitted to the prime minister, the Union water resources minister, the chief minister of Assam, and flood control minister.

The tea companies even engaged experts to explore measures to control the floods and erosion. ''Beyond that the industry cannot do anything more on its own, as a huge pool of resources will be required to tame the menacing river channel,'' the source averred.

On May 18, the sub-committee submitted a memorandum to the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission seeking release of adequate fund to the state government to mitigate the problem.

However, the panel advised that the matter must be moved by the state government and proposals for funds should be forwarded to the commission by the state government.

The root of the problem lies in the avulsion of Brahmaputra - a combine of Lohit and Debang rivers -- water into the Dangeri and Dibru river through the Ananta nallah, near Dholla in Tinsukia district.

The then additional chief engineer of the State Flood Control Department, in a report in December 1998, mentioned that the combined flow of the Lohit and Debang followed a course along the northern side of the Saikhowa forest and later combined with Dehang to merge into the Brahmaputra.

Since 1992, a part of the combined flow followed a course along the southern fringe of the Saikhowa forest in successive years. It then gained momentum after coming in contact with the river channels of Dholla, Dangeri and Dibru downstream. This combined flow is the Ananta nallah.

The report mentioned that since 1998 the course of the Lohit and Debang have been flowing along the southern side of the Saikhowa forest with menacing currents during the rains, creating havoc in the area. Many villagers have been rendered homeless, while many tea gardens faced severe erosion.

When the problem was first noticed in 1993-94, it would have cost only Rs 3 to 4 million to construct silting devices to stop the avulsion of the Brahmaputra water through the Ananta nallah. Now, it will require over Rs 3 billion to save the area from erosion.

UNI

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