Arunachal: Flood Control Survey Held Along Siang River in Mebo
WRD officials, village elders and public leaders conducted a field survey of Siang river diversion points as lower Mebo awaits central funding for flood control.
PASIGHAT- ( By Maksam Tayeng ) Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD), along with Gaon Burahs and public leaders of Namsing village under the Namsing circle of Mebo Sub-Division in East Siang district, on Tuesday conducted a field survey of multiple river course diversion points along the Siang River, which has been causing severe flood erosion in the region.
The survey was undertaken following directions from Mebo MLA Oken Tayeng to assess vulnerable stretches where the river has deviated from its original right-bank course towards the left bank, leading to recurring flood damage in several villages of the Mebo Sub-Division.
The WRD team was led by Superintending Engineer Tanu Tasing, along with Executive Engineer (Pasighat Division) Onit Panyang, Assistant Engineer Alat Megu, Junior Engineers Rassia Tayeng and others. Public representatives included former Monggu Banggo-II ZPM Gumin Tayeng, Gaon Burah Bohonto Perme, village secretary Banggoi Pertin, and local residents.
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Officials surveyed river stretches north of Namsing and Jopong villages, including areas within the jurisdiction of the D. Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, where the Siang River has taken a sharp turn towards the left bank. According to village representatives, one major diversion point between Borguli and Sibiyamukh Wildlife Range, along with two to three vulnerable points near Jopong, opposite Borguli and Seram villages, require urgent intervention to mitigate flood impact.
Villagers identified sites where river currents shift towards the left bank, contributing to erosion and damage in Namsing, Gadum, Mer, Seram and Borguli villages during the monsoon season. WRD engineers said the findings would be used to prepare a master plan and detailed engineering designs for diversion and flood control works.
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WRD officials said flood control measures would be initiated with support from the local MLA and assured that efforts would be made to divert the river flow back towards its original course to reduce erosion pressure on the left bank.
Addressing villagers, MLA Oken Tayeng said that in the absence of immediate government funding, efforts would be made to mobilise voluntary donations and crowd funding to carry out urgent flood control works. He said annual floods have caused extensive damage to agricultural land, roads, power infrastructure, public buildings and homes, leaving affected residents increasingly vulnerable.
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Tayeng said proposed measures include construction of boulder bunds through community participation, river channel clearance using heavy machinery, and procurement of materials such as steel wires, boats and equipment. He expressed hope that fellow legislators, ministers and well-wishers would support the initiative to protect flood-affected villages in the 39th Mebo Assembly constituency.
Officials recalled that the original right-bank course of the Siang River, flowing through Komlighat, Maktumghat, Pillumukh, Kemimukh and Oiramghat, gradually shifted towards the left bank following the 2000 flood event originating upstream. Flood damage intensified further after the collapse of a major flood control structure near Sigar village in 2020.
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A ₹35-crore anti-erosion project sanctioned by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) in 2019 for ten villages in Mebo Sub-Division has since drawn criticism from residents, who allege inadequate utilisation of funds for flood protection.
WRD officials said that if interim community-led diversion efforts succeed, they could offer temporary relief until a major flood control project worth approximately ₹250 crore is sanctioned under the Brahmaputra Basin flood management programme, which has a total proposed outlay of ₹486.74 crore for left and right bank protection. They added that the project has already received clearance from the Technical Advisory Committee in September 2025 and is awaiting further approvals.
