On December 30, Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for a Rs 233.54-crore project to save Majuli island (Assam), said to be the largest inhabited river island in the world, from disappearing entirely. Measured at 1,256 square metres by a government survey in 1891, it is only about 525 sq km today. As per a report by The Indian Express, the Brahmaputra is constantly eating into the landmass of the island, which is also the socio-cultural heart of Assam.
As per the report, the scheme for which Gadkari laid the foundation stone involves four components to be built: 27 km geo-bag bank revetment works in vulnerable reaches; RCC porcupine screens at 41 locations; a 3.50-km pilot channel to drain out floodwater; a sluice at Birinabari to stop the river from entering the island through a stream that runs east to west. Alongside new schemes to protect the island, the government has also launched major bank protection work in Nimatighat on the south bank. The rescue efforts have already begun to bear fruit as the island grew from 502 sq km in 2004 to 525 sq km in November 2017, as per the report. “If we fail to protect Majuli, we’ll lose our cultural identity. We’ve also decided to build a cultural university in Majuli,” Sonowal had said in one of his address.
The Assam government has been pressing for a UNESCO World Heritage Site tag for Majuli for more than two decades now. Majuli gained added political significance after the assembly seat was won Sarbananda Sonowal on his way to becoming chief minister. Majuli was also elevated from a subdivision to a district in June last year.
