Water Resources Minister Assesses Sinking Zone at Tarapur, Will fix all the embankments in 15 days: Pijush Hazarika

Assam’s Water Resources Minister, Pijush Hazarika, arrived in Silchar today to evaluate the situation at the sinking zone in Tarapur Shibbari, severely affected by the recent Cyclone Remal and heavy rainfall. During his visit, the minister assured that restoration efforts would be undertaken promptly and on a war footing to address the damage.

Speaking at the site, Minister Hazarika detailed the extensive destruction caused by the cyclone, noting that multiple dykes, including four in Karimganj, had broken down. “Where I am standing (Shibbari Road), the water is rising, and the soil is being washed away by the river’s flow. I’ve arrived here now (3 PM) and will revisit at 8 PM tonight to ensure that we can protect the area and mitigate further damage,” Hazarika stated.

He committed to restoring all breached embankments within 15 to 20 days, emphasizing the urgency of the task to prevent future flooding, especially with more rainfall expected in the coming monsoon months. “To prevent flooding in the next months, we will fix all the points of breaches in these embankments using geo mega pipes,” he added.

However, Minister Hazarika acknowledged the challenge of providing a permanent solution for the sinking zone at Shibbari Road, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department (PWD). “I will discuss the matter with the PWD department to devise a plan. If soil is used to stop the water from breaching into the roads, it gets washed away,” he explained.

Regarding the Bethukandi area, the minister mentioned that significant work remains. “Bethukandi will take another year. The new and bigger sluice gate we are constructing in the dyke will need another season to be ready. When completed, it will resolve many issues,” he said. The minister noted that while a smaller sluice gate was completed last year, it was insufficient, necessitating the current larger project. “We have increased the height of the embankment. Once the sluice gate is complete, the problem at Bethukandi will be solved forever,” Hazarika assured.

Despite ongoing efforts, many houses along the banks of the Barak River in Bethukandi remain inundated. The embankment work alongside the Barak River is still incomplete, with the river flowing just a few inches below the embankment road.

On June 23, Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty announced the plan for a “ new double-shuttered sluice gate in Bethukandi”. In the Facebook post by the Silchar MLA, he said, “The construction work is scheduled to commence in October of this year and will be completed by the 24th of June next year(2024)”. Before the planned unveiling of the new sluice gate, the old sluice gate was restored and inaugurated the sluice gate. ”This morning was truly remarkable as I, alongside Hon. MP Dr Rajdeep Roy, Rohan Kumar Jha, DC Cachar, Superintendent Engineer, Executive Engineer, SDO, Water Resource Department, had the honour of inaugurating the long-awaited Bethukandi sluice gate”, On June 4, 2023, Dipayan Chakraborty wrote on Facebook.

Today, Pijush Hazarika had to fly down from Guwahati to reveal that the embankments will be fixed within 15-20 days, just like he did on June 12 and assured Dipayan Chakraborty that the sluice gate will be ready on June 24, 2024. In reality, the work needs another season as mentioned by Hazaika during his press briefing this afternoon. As people fight anxiety, fake claims and rumours, Barak River’s water level rises again after a few hours of calm.