By IANS,
Guwahati : The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) Monday urged the central government to take steps to stop the erosion of the Brahmaputra, failing which it said effective management of India-Bangladesh border will not be possible.
AIUDF legislator Abdur Rahman Ajmal added that the party had highlighted the damages caused by unabated erosion of land by the Brahmaputra, affecting fences and border out posts along the Bangladesh boundary during Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s visit to Dhubri district.
“In one and a half decade, the Brahmaputra has come close to the border fence in Kaliar Alga and Kokradanga areas,” he said, adding that the river was barely 20 meters away from the border outpost at Sishumara.
Unless the erosion was checked, it would pose a serious threat to the sovereignty of India, he said.
At least 50,000 people have been displaced from their villages in the district because of erosion.
“If erosion is not checked on war footing, India will continue to lose land. Frequent shifting of border outposts due to erosion will also affect border management,” he said.
Ajmal cited the case of Gour Jhapusabari village near the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, where more than half the land area has been eroded by the Kaljani river.
He said that the rapid changing of course by the Kaljani has divided the village into three parts, making difficult for the Border Security Force personnel to patrol.