Jorhat, Oct 14: Severe erosion along the Brahmaputra in Majuli’s Bhakat Chapori has threatened 25-26 villages and several satras, including the historic Auniati Satra, prompting its Satradhikar to demand immediate intervention by the State government.
Inspecting the erosion-hit Gorukhuti area on Wednesday, Auniati Satra Satradhikar Sri Sri Pitambar Dev Goswami warned that continued erosion could wipe out entire settlements and religious institutions.
“People are scared. If the erosion continues, the entire Bhakat Chapori will be erased, with several villages and satras submerged underwater. We cannot imagine the consequences if the situation remains like this for even 10 more days,” he said.
Goswami urged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to intervene without delay and called for large-scale erosion-control measures using mega tubes.
He warned that residents and devotees could launch their own protective work after Kati Bihu if the government fails to act.
“We have urged the government to take immediate action. If there is further delay, people will come out, and we will be compelled to join them,” he said.
The Satradhikar also invited Majuli MLA Bhuban Gam to visit the site and witness the scale of the damage.
He recalled that a meeting held earlier about a kilometre away from the present location had been lost to the river.
Gam said he visited the area with officials from the concerned departments after being alerted by Goswami. He added that he would take steps to bring the matter to the State government’s attention.
A proposal seeking Rs 216 crore for erosion protection along the stretch from Bhakat Chapori to Kordoiguri using mega tubes has already been submitted, the MLA said.
Their deployment could take around a month, he added, while geo-bags and porcupine structures would be installed as interim measures.
Gam said the Water Resources Department would implement the protective measures, rather than the Brahmaputra Board.
The erosion threat has raised concerns over the loss of inhabited areas and Majuli’s religious and cultural heritage.
The river island is renowned for its Vaishnavite satras, which preserve the teachings of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva and Assam’s devotional and cultural traditions.