Assam: River erosion, floods cast shadow on Kati Bihu celebrations in Narayanpur village

On the auspicious occasion of Kati Bihu, a significant number of agricultural families in the village of Athanibari, Narayanpur in Assam find themselves in distress as river erosion and flooding have wrought havoc on their fields and livelihoods.

Traditionally, the Assamese people celebrate Kati Bihu by lighting earthen lamps, symbolizing hope and prosperity. However, the residents of Athanibari are facing a grim reality this year. Instead of Shali-bao paddy fields ready for the celebration, their lands have been inundated with sand and silt due to the relentless force of the river.

The devastation caused by the river erosion is evident, with hundreds of hectares of agricultural land rendered barren and unproductive. Fields of Shali and left paddy have been destroyed in numerous areas, submerged under sediment and debris. As a consequence, the villagers, primarily farmers and agricultural workers, are unable to partake in the traditional act of lighting earthen lamps in their crop fields today.

A distressed woman from the village expressed her sorrow, "Today is an auspicious day, 'Kati Bihu,' and the entire state is going to light up with earthen lamps. But we are unfortunate that we cannot burn earthen lamps because the river erosion and floods have destroyed all the agricultural fields. We are in a state of grief that we don’t have words to speak. We have been facing this kind of situation where our homes and other assets have been washed away. We do not have any accommodations. We don’t have anything to celebrate Bihu. I'm a housewife, I should have been busy preparing for the Bihu, but now, as we don’t have any cultivation, what can you do in this case? Seeing our children's faces, we don’t have any idea how to make them understand the situation. Children are asking, won't you make rice cakes, but only we know how we make it, there is no agriculture. Everything is like a desert. Now we want to make a request to the CM to help us."

A man from the village echoed these sentiments, adding, "We are in a dreadful situation. The river erosion has destroyed all the crops, and everything has been sedimented by the soil. Moreover, the road between Narayanpur and Simaluguri is in very bad condition. We want to request the Chief Minister to look into the road linking Narayanpur and Simaluguri. Additionally, the Toranihaat and Athanibari road has been washed away by the river waters. We hope the CM looks into this matter too."

The residents of Athanibari are facing a challenging situation, with their homes, fields, and traditions threatened by the relentless force of the river. They earnestly seek assistance from the government to alleviate their plight and help them recover from the agricultural losses suffered due to river erosion.

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