Assam: Brahmaputra erosion puts BSF camp and international border road at risk in Southsalmara-Mankachar

The Brahmaputra River’s relentless erosion in Kokradanga, Southsalmara-Mankachar, has reached an alarming stage, threatening to wipe out a vital international border road and the strategically positioned Borairalga Border Security Force (BSF) camp. The situation has been described as a “high-alert security concern” for the Indo-Bangladesh border region.

For several days, powerful river currents have battered Kokradanga village in Hatshingimari, submerging eight houses and eating away at the embankments. The erosion has now advanced to the edge of the border road, reducing the gap to “zero metres” and putting the route at imminent risk of collapse.

The threat extends directly to the BSF camp along the same stretch, raising fears about a potential compromise of border security operations. The loss of both the road and the camp would severely hamper patrols, logistical movement, and communication along this sensitive border sector.

This crisis comes just two days after Assam Public Health Engineering Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah visited Kokradanga to review the situation. However, residents say the erosion has worsened since his visit, with no visible signs of relief.

Locals have criticised the district administration and the Water Resources Department for their response, calling the anti-erosion measures “ineffective” and alleging that much of the work is carried out at night with little transparency.

The people of Kokradanga and the wider Mankachar constituency are urging the state government to treat the matter as an urgent priority and implement sustainable erosion-control measures to safeguard lives, livelihoods, and national security infrastructure.