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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Erosion threat: Nath village faces extinction

Erosion threat: Nath village faces extinction

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published Published on Nov 19, 2011   modified Modified on Nov 19, 2011

-The Sentinel Assam

 

Cluster of villages across Barak Valley have been threatened by erosions of various rivers crisscrossing the zone. A good number of villages have been completely or partially wiped out by the swirling and surging waters of Barak, in particular, during heavy floods. Reports about the fate of such villages have appeared in the media time to time and continue to hit the headlines. The state government and its water resources department seem to have adopted an attitude of ‘lordly indifference’, for which no plausible reasons are forthcoming.

Similar is the poignant tale of a village under Berenga gaon panchayat close to this town. Once inhabited by 500 families, their number has now come down to 25 only. Nothing is now left of this hustling and bustling habitation. Suresh Nath, teacher, recounted the days when the all smiling and cheerful inhabitants lived happily with sufficient produces from their agriculture land. The erosion by Barak, as he pointed out, began in 1985 when the river showed tendency to change its course and drift. From then, it has been a different story for them. With erosion unchecked, their agricultural land and habitations or dwelling places came under threat.

Dipankar Nath Choudhury could recollect the first MLA of Borkhola, Rainath Chand, who took the initiative to get some fund sanctioned by the state for raising an embankment around and a road for easy movement along it. After that, the representations and memoranda by them to the district administration of Cachar and even to the successive MLAs have fallen on deaf ears. Their conditions turned from bad to worse.

The embankment-cum-road being threatened by erosion during successive floods could not sustain the natural onslaught and began to give in to the swallowing waters of Barak. Amit Kumar Nath, another inhabitant, pointed out that they watched helplessly how their agriculture land, standing crops and homesteads began to disappear, leaving behind a skeleton of what once was a self-sufficient village. It was quite sad that the road along the bund through which around 7,000 people of the neighbourhood and their own village commuted was giving into the fury of Barak systematically and gradually. He narrated how the erosion took in its grip a Masjid, a bazaar and some houses of a nearby settlement. It was in fact a colony which has now turned into almost a worn out habitation.

Amit Kumar Nath could not forget the happy and festive days of Durga Puja. All the residents contributed in their own way to make preparations for the greatest festival by holding community worship of the Goddess. The three-day celebrations were made memorable with the participation of all men, women and children. Those festive days were gone. It was way back in 1963 that the last puja was held. The celebration became difficult with decimating population and their economic crisis due to loss of agriculture. A Shiva temple also existed once. However, quite significantly and as a mark of social harmony and brotherhood, Muslims of the neighbourhood villagers of Kanakpur part-II taking pity on their plight held a meeting with them and decided to extend all possible help in order to restart Durga Puja this year. And it became possible. With contributions and donations offered by them, not only the villagers could arrange the idol of Goddess but also make necessary preparations and celebrate. Suresh Nath expressed his gratitude to his Muslim brothers for the human gesture. The villagers of Berenga in general were grateful to them. They believe with such cooperation, the tradition of puja continuing for years would again be kept alive.

This Nath village in general has developed hatred for the politicians and quite naturally. As Suresh Nath said more in anger and agony how the MLAs and ministers flocked their village before elections and made promises for repairing and reinforcing the embankment and the road. After polls, none of them come back to see their plight. This has been with all the political parties and their leaders who contest in the elections.

In order to save what is now left of a populous and prosperous village, they demand immediate steps by the water resource department for the protection of embankment-cum-road and a PMGRY connectivity with the main PWD road of Berenga that links this town. But, thoughts of their past make them pensive and the attitude and behaviour of politicians coupled with the indifference of the state and its water resource department make them shudder at the threat of erosion that continues. The day is not far off, said Suresh Nath, when the entire village will disappear like so many villages in Barak Valley.

The Sentinel Assam, 17 November, 2011, http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=96973&dtP=2011-11-18&ppr=1#96973


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