[Assam] Demand for review of Majuli Master Plan

Tue Aug 1 07:56:09 PDT 2006

Demand for review of Majuli Master Plan
 By A Staff Reporter
  GUWAHATI, July 31  The Majuli Surakhya Samity (MSS), Guwahati, has demanded immediate review and recast of the Majuli Master Plan prepared by the Brahmaputra Board with a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach. It has also demanded completion of the Boards works connected with the physical protection of the island within a fixed time frame, through proper scientific planning and management.

In a statement here today, the Samity alleged that the Board was not sincere in its approach towards providing the island with effective anti-erosion measures. What it has been doing for the past about four years is nothing but a puppet show only with symptomatic treatment of the problem of erosion, alleged the MSS.

The Samity has also alleged that the governments both in the State and at the Centre had also remained silent spectators doing nothing worth of their salt except propagating messages of world heritage. Even the Majuli Island Protection and Development Council (MIPADC), one of the prime advocates for World Heritage Site status to the island, has also appeared to have been maintaining a very lenient approach in the matter, said the Samity.

Explaining the lackadaisical attitude of the Brahmaputra Board, it said that the Board could not utilise even a meagre sum of Rs 23 crore out of the Rs 69.56 crore earmarked for the 2005-06 fiscal. In implementing the three-phased Master Plan, which has the target for completion in 2006-07, the Board could achieve a progress of not more than 20 per cent till March 31 last in phase one. 

It said that the three-phase Master Plan consisted of  construction of 18 km new embankment, improvement of 50 km old road-cum-embankment, strengthening of the two of the existing land spurs, installation of permeable screens with RCC porcupines and survey for model studies in the first phase. In the second phase, it included installation of the permeable spurs and finalisation of the model study and in the third phase, it included construction of ten land spurs as long-term measures.

The model studies, which were the most important part of the long-term measures, have become a lost chapter for the Board. The callousness of the Board is such that it has not even been able to complete the minor strengthening works of the two existing land spurs, which were connected with the model studies. 

The Samity has also deplored the silence maintained by the Board on the apprehensions expressed by various circles on the possibility of an adverse impact of the Bogibeel Bridge over the Brahmaputra on Majuli subdivision and Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts.

It has also called for involvement of the States Departments of Soil Conservation, Forest, PWD and Agriculture etc in the process for making the Majuli Master Plan a total success.Guwahati, Tuesday, August 1, 2006 Assam Tribune

More on http://www.majuli.info 

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