Parliamentary panel to visit Majuli

Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Jan 27 – The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources will visit the flood and erosion-affected Majuli river island and Bahori between February 2 and 4. The team will arrive in the city on February 1 and will visit Majuli on February 2. The members of the team will visit Bahori Sapra Protection Project site on February 4 and the next day, the members of the team will hold discussions with the officials of the Brahmaputra Board on the functioning of the Board. The same day, members of the team will hold discussion with the officials of the State Government on the implementation of various projects in the State, said official sources here.It needs mention here that the issues of physical protection of the Majuli island and Bahori areas from the flood and erosion of the Brahmaputra have been agitating the people of the State for quite some time now. Both the places are regarded to be the centres of Assamese Vaishnavite religion and culture. While Majuli is housing a number of Vaishnavite sattras, the famous Bahori Sattra is located at Bahori. Erosion activities of the Brahmaputra have been posing serious threats to several of the Majuli sattras. Similarly, Bahori Sattra is facing the threat of extinction due to the erosion activities of the mighty river.Inhabitants of the river island, including the venerable sattradhikars of the sattra institutions of the island launched a series of agitations to mount pressure on the Governments in the State and at the Centre to initiate immediate measures for the protection of the island from Brahmaputra erosion. People of other areas of the State and several students’ bodies, including the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chattra Parishad (AJYCP) also expressed solidarity with the islanders.This resulted in the Central Government entrusting the task of physical protection of Majuli to the Brahmaputra Board. But the people of the island have been alleging that the Brahmaputra Board has been showing listlessness in executing the protection measures.On the other hand, it has been alleged by the people of Bahori area that the authorities concerned have been showing least concern for constructing effective structures to save the Bahori area from the erosion of the Brahmaputra, the floodwater of which has by this time started eating into the dyke.Against this backdrop, the proposed visit of the Parliamentary Standing Committee to Majuli and Bahori assumes significance, said the sources. source: assam tribune