Arunachal: Flood-Erosion Affected Farmers of Borguli Village Launch Voluntary Flood Control Efforts
They Appeal to State Government for Support.
PASIGHAT- ( By Maksam Tayeng )- The flood-affected wetland rice cultivation (WRC) farmers of Kongkin Rikyu in Borguli village under Mebo Sub-Division, East Siang District, have taken matters into their own hands by initiating voluntary flood control measures. For the past three days, these farmers—representing over 60 families—have been constructing boulder bunds along the Siang (Brahmaputra) River in an attempt to mitigate the devastating soil erosion that occurs annually during the monsoon season.
Speaking to this correspondent, Kongkin Rikyu WRC Field Farmers Group President Joito Tayeng and General Secretary Tokmin Sisam shared that the initiative has been undertaken without any government funding.
“We are building boulder bunds through our own contributions and help from well-wishers,” said Tayeng and Sisam. “There has been no government intervention yet, but we hope they will step in before it’s too late and our fields are lost forever.”
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Veteran educators and flood-affected farmers Pampok Lego and Joint Tayeng echoed similar concerns. They stressed that the threat of soil erosion from the Siang River—now only a few meters from their fields—is extremely severe.
“If the river’s current isn’t diverted or neutralized this monsoon, we will lose our land. This is a last-resort effort to save our livelihoods,” said Lego.
Youth leader Kalingbung Tayeng, actively participating in the boulder bund construction, appealed to Chief Minister Pema Khandu for urgent assistance.
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“We request the state government to sanction sufficient funds for constructing proper flood control measures along the left bank of Siang River, particularly in the Kongkin area, to save our WRC fields,” he said.
The voluntary flood control work is being carried out at two critical erosion points near the confluence of the Tatsing and Siang rivers, just south of New Borguli village.
Over the past two and a half decades, continuous flood erosion by the Siang has wreaked havoc in Borguli and surrounding Monggu Banggo areas under the 39th Assembly Constituency. The infamous “Chinese flood” of 2000 drastically altered the river’s course from the right to the left bank, leading to massive destruction of agricultural land and infrastructure.
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Hundreds of hectares of fertile land, alongside crucial infrastructure such as the Mebo-Dhola road, electric poles, schools, and hospitals, have been washed away—most notably over the last 8 to 10 years.
Residents now pin their hopes on the construction of a permanent flood control structure—a road-cum-flood control bund—spanning the Siang’s left bank from Sigar to Mer village, covering approximately 20 to 30 kilometers.
“Only a permanent and comprehensive flood control solution can ensure the survival of our agricultural heritage and protect the lifelines of our region,” urged the farmers’ group.
