Severe erosion along the Siang river has affected several acres of wet cultivation in the Borguli area of Mebo subdivision in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, raising concern among farmers over the loss of standing crops and agricultural land.
The river has reportedly changed its course towards the left in the Borguli area, causing erosion along the riverbank and affecting standing paddy, plantations and bamboo groves in Borguli, Seram, Kongkul, Namsing, Mer and Gadum.
The situation has become particularly concerning for farmers in Borguli, where standing paddy in a large agricultural field belonging to five families has already been flooded by the rising and shifting river. Other agricultural fields in the area are also facing the threat of being affected if erosion continues.
Monggu Banggo-I ZPM Bapiyang Tayeng, accompanied by Water Resources Department Assistant Engineer (Mebo) Bani Langkam and local gaon buras, recently visited the affected areas to assess the extent of the erosion and the situation faced by local residents.
The continuing erosion has added to concerns over the protection of farmland and riverbank areas in Lower Mebo. Farmers in the affected villages fear that further erosion could damage more standing crops and reduce the area available for cultivation.
Mebo MLA Oken Tayeng is pursuing the matter with the state government and has sought early sanction of a mega anti-erosion project for the Lower Mebo area.
According to the MLA, a proposal for riverbank protection covering the stretch from Sigar to Mer village in Lower Mebo has already been submitted to the Water Resources Department. However, the project is still awaiting government sanction.
