Arunachal: Siang River erosion washes away farmland in Mebo, threatens livelihoods

A team of district administration and Water Resources Department (WRD) officials on Monday, August 3, inspected flood-affected wet rice cultivation (WRC) fields at Borguli village in Arunachal Pradesh's Mebo Sub-Division after severe erosion along the Siang River washed away agricultural land and threatened the livelihoods of farming families.

According to the Water Resources Department, continuous monsoon-triggered flooding has caused around 600 metres of riverbank erosion, washing away an estimated 10,800 square metres of farmland as of August 3.

Officials said the erosion has severely affected the Kongkin Wet Rice Cultivation (WRC) fields, which serve as the primary source of livelihood for many residents of the area.

The assessment team was led by Pasighat Additional Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) and Deputy Commissioner in-charge Pebika Lego. The team also included Mebo ADC Nancy Yirang, Namsing Circle Officer Toimi Tagi, WRD Assistant Engineer Bani Langkam, Borguli Gaon Burah Nogen Yirang and local villagers.

During the visit, the officials inspected the affected sites and assessed the extent of the damage. They informed residents that a detailed assessment report would be prepared and submitted to the appropriate authorities, along with proposals for long-term flood mitigation measures.

Meanwhile, Mebo MLA Oken Tayeng, who directed officials to inspect the flood-hit areas, urged the Arunachal Pradesh government to take immediate steps to address the recurring flood and erosion problems along the Siang River.

The legislator said villages such as Borguli, Seram, Namsing, Mer, Gadum and Sigar suffer extensive damage every year due to flooding, resulting in the loss of hundreds of hectares of agricultural and residential land.

Calling for a permanent solution, Tayeng stressed the need to construct a flood protection embankment along the Siang River from Sigar village to Mer village. He said such a project would require support from both the state and central governments to safeguard the lives, livelihoods and farmlands of people living in the Lower Mebo and Monggu Banggo areas.