Arunachal: Flooding in Siang causes massive soil erosion, agricultural damage

The early monsoon flood in Siang River has almost reached danger level and the flood has caused massive soil erosion along the left bank side at Namsing and Padan village areas under Namsing circle in Mebo Sub-Division, Arunachal.

As per sources from Namsing village, Arunachal more than 400 metres land toward the village in between Namsing and Padan village has been eroded and washed away within this June month. “Paddy field, Ginger, Maize etc were damaged by the flood and farmers whose agriculture items were destroyed has expressed grief and sorrow over the government who failed to control the soil erosion despite huge funds sanctioned for flood control works to save agricultural fields and villages of Namsing, Mer, Gadum, Padan (Kongkul), Seram, Borguli, Kiyit, Motum, Raling and Sigar villages under Mebo Sub-Division”, said U. S. Perme, a retired police Inspector and a senior member from Namsing village. I don’t mean to criticize our local leader for failing to construct a proper flood control in the Siang river, but I believe that if a similar or smaller bund like that of one in Sigar was constructed to divert the part of Siang that flows from north of Jopong (thick forested land under Borguli Range of D. Ering Wildlife Sanctuary), the river current of Siang wouldn’t have hit so hard toward Namsing and Padan villages, added Perme who felt neglected and unprotected from the mega flood control work sanctioned by the government of India.

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While Gaon Burah of Namsing village, Bohonto Perme also appealed the Arunachal government to help the villagers as the flooding Siang river has damaged the crops of several families of the village. “The peak period of monsoon hasn’t came yet, but this much of erosion and damages has taken place in the onset of monsoon, what would happen in the mid monsoon God knows, even our village is in danger”, said Gaon Burah.

Meanwhile, the massive flood has also put the concern department of WRD in hectic scheduling as this department being the monitoring agency is constantly monitoring the flood level fearing any damage to the newly constructed tie-bund flood control structures stretching around 1.5 KM. However, concern Assistant Engineer, Er. Geyon Tayeng has said that, there is nothing much to panic as the bund is strong enough to bear the pressure of the flood and the seepage of certain amount of river water from the boulder tie-bund only helps the bund side getting silted gradually. “The slight capsizing of tie-bund flood control project at Sigar is due to seepage of river water from the boulder bund which will be supported with more filling of boulders around the point of occurrence once the weather become fair”, added Er. Tayeng in response to queries raised by some people on social media in Arunachal Pradesh.

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