Arunachal: Road breaches due to massive soil erosion in Siang river

In a major setback to the people of Namsing, Gadum, Mer villages under Mebo Sub-Division in East Siang District and Paglam circle under Dambuk Sub-Division in Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh including part of northern Assam villages, the lifeline of these mentioned villages and region, Mebo-Dhola Road (MDR) got breached today due to massive and continuous soil erosion by flooding Siang River.

To take stock of the situation and to make an early alternative arrangement of road communication for these affected villages, Chief Engineer, PWD. Er. Markar Bam along with Mebo MLA Lombo Tayeng, Dy. Commissioner Pasighat, Dr. Kinny Singh, ADC Mebo, Bani Lego, SE PWD, Er. Tapi Darang, EE WRD Er. Gonong Pertin, EE PWD, EE Power, DDMO and other officials visited the breached portion of MDR in between Namsing and Kongkul village, Arunachal Pradesh. Speaking to this reporter from the breached point, Er. Markar Bam said that, around 150 Mtrs stretches of road was washed away today and is likely to wash more stretches of road to 500 Mtrs. “I had been to this place in an inspection earlier during last year and just some 3-4 days back also I have seen this where course of the river was at least 50-60 Mtrs away from the road, but it was damaged today from this point of 28^th KM out of 35 KM of this MDR starting from zero point at Mebo village. We are making an alternative new alignment of road of around 3 KM to restore the road communication and the road will be completed within 5 days”, added Er. Bam. For the new temporary alternative road the department will require funds and CE Er. Bam opined hope of getting the fund from the government early.

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Meanwhile, EE WRD, Er. Gonong Pertin whose department is continuously monitoring the rise of water level of Siang River said that, this year’s flood in Siang is strange and is all time high in last couple of years. “I have been as EE WRD at Upper Siang, Yingkiong, Arunachal also in my previous posting and there I saw that the water level of Siang was not this high. When Siang was full of muddy and flash flood came due to sudden burst of blocked river due to landslide in the upper ridges of Siang river at Tibet/Chinese side some two year ago, that time too the water level of Siang was not this high. The Siang River had seldom crossed danger level in those years and even if it had crossed the water level used to recede soon, but this year the danger level of Siang remains even for days together which has triggered such massive soil erosion”, added Er. Pertin.

While, Group Captain Retired, Mohonto Pangging who hails from Namsing village as Secretary General SEEANG committee said that, the region, especially this part of Mebo, East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh need a mega flood protection project to mitigate the flood worries. “A mega flood control project bund which can be also used as a road from Sigar and Mer-Gadum under Mebo Sub-Division is required to give a permanent solution to the annual flood worries of the people of this region”, added Pangging who is a retired Fighter plane pilot of IAF. Pangging also put it on record that, the SEEANG committee had placed a flood protection project cost of total Rs. 150 Cr out of which only 35 Cr was sanctioned by Chief Minister Pema Khandu then, but the flood control project of that amount couldn’t regulate the flood this year. He hopes that the government will reconsider granting remaining Rs. 115 Cr out of Rs. 150 Cr so that, a viable and a better project could be constructed to ease the flood worries of the area.

Later, the team of MLA Lombo Tayeng, DC and other officials also visited the flood affected Sigar village where school playground of Primary School Sigar, Arunachal is almost completely washed away. 

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