Arunachal: YWS initiate flood control measures to protect several villages from erosion
Yirang Welfare Society shows solidarity with the flood affected villages of Monggu Banggo, conducted flood control works in between Seram and Borguli.
Pasighat
By Maksam Tayeng
The Yirang Welfare Society (YWS) conducted a mass social service flood control work and constructed a huge spur by using sand filled gunny bags.
About 200 volunteers and members of YWS had came from various villages from East Siang, Upper Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Lohit districts where Yirang clan of Adi tribe resides.
The YWS members on the ground was headed by President, Biyon Yirang (retired school Principal), General Secretary, Oyon Yirang and Chief Advisor, Koggyon Yirang (retired Jt. Director School Education) along with society seniors including women folks supporting from the back in preparing food item.
When asked about their collective effort to support the flood affected people of Monggu Banggo, YWS President, Biyon Yirang said that, they have been observing about the flood menace in the villages like Borguli, Seram, Kongkul, Namsing, Gadum and Mer in which the lifeline of Monggu Banggo including parts of Lower Dibang Valley and entire part of Eastern Arunachal, Mebo Dhola Road (MDR) is also under threat from the Siang River erosion.
“After seeing several voluntary flood control works being carried out by these flood affected villagers to protect their villages, we thought of extending our helping hands by participating in the flood control work on ground.
So, despite our lesser population among other clan of the Adis, today we gathered here for the work in which YWS members from far off locations/villages also took participation. We hope and believe that our little effort in helping flood affected people by constructing a spur in the major current striking point at ‘Moruk’ in between Borguli and Seram village will be affective in diverting the river current upto some extent”, added Yirang.
Kogyon Yirang, Chief Advisor YWS, Dr.Allok Yirang, Director, Health & Family Welfare department, GoAP and Dr. Nangkong Yirang, Editor, YWS also spoke on the occasion and showed full solidarity with the people of Monggu Banggo who have been suffering from flood menace of Siang River.
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to mention here that, the YWS used around ten thousand gunny bags in total in which sands were filled and the same were immersed in the river water with steep depth and with the help of iron/aluminum wire the spur was prepared.
In this connection, several flood protection works were already done by the flood affected people including the villages from Lower Dibang Valley like Anpum, Loklung, Paglam, Banggo etc too as the Mebo Dhola Road which is the lifeline of entire downstream region if washed away by the flooding Siang river will be sorrow for everyone.
Meanwhile, flood affected people including the other villages using MDR are of the view that, the funds sanctioned for flood control work along the left bank side of Siang river should be used judiciously and it may be handed over to the flood affected designated committee ‘SEEANG’ so that entire funds could be used appropriately while in carrying out crash programme bund construction like that in Komlighat, in the bank of Siang river at Pasighat. The flood affected villagers will voluntarily do the manual works even by hiring/inviting men-force help from all other Adi villages under one Adi, one boulder slogan, said one of the Seram village Gaon Burah.
The funds which are meant for construction of only 600 Mtrs to 1 KM length if done departmentally or by contractual work, the same amount can be used to build more than 5-6 KMs of areas where major flood control bunds are required like at north of Sigar village, North of Seram village and north of Namsing village. “If 35 Cr funds sanctioned by the Ministry of DoNER with the initiation of Chief Minister Pema Khandu are handed over to any contractor or to the department, there will be lesser work as most of the money will go to the various pockets as commission and as other expenditure. But if the same is used by the affected people, the same amount will be used for more work as menforce are readily available who are willing to save their age old villages”, added the Gaon Burah.
In view of the situation, state’s Chief Minister need to understand the vibe of the flood affected people and hand over the funds entire to the flood affected people with special consideration to the Monggu Banggo villages which have been largely suffering from flood menace from last two years excluding the sufferings underwent since the year 2000 Chinese flood. Some contractors and group of individuals are already in the lookout for grabbing this flood control work/project for their normal contractual work to earn as usual. But Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his government need to understand this case on exceptional angle wherein, if the sanctioned Rs. 35 Cr is used properly there is a maximum chance of solving the flood problem of Monggu Banggo. If not used properly, many more additional funds will be required to complete and cover the entire stretches of major river current striking points at Sigar, Borguli-Seram and Namsing, but as the getting of financial assistance/sanction for additional funds may take more time, Siang river and its associated flood is unlikely to give another chance or year to save the area.
Hence, proper use of this sanctioned amount by the affected people will be a best idea and economical for the government also to avoid huge additional funding in a same location.
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