RIVER BANK EROSION DISPLACES MILLIONS IN ASSAM
MONOJ GOGOI Massive river bank erosion in Assam has been displacing hundreds of thousands families across the state over decades since India's Independence in 1947. In recent years, the intensity and frequency of floods and erosion have also been increasing in the state. A photo of the IAG meeting in Lakhimpur. According to experts the behavior of rivers in Assam changed just after the Assam Earthquake of 1950 which was measured 8.7 in the Richter scale. The earthquake and the aftershock elevated the river beds of all rivers in Assam. Some rivers including Subansiri changed channels during the earthquake. It is estimated that since 1950 about 4.27 Sq km of land has been eroded by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries in Assam. In a recent statement CK Das, former Additional Chief Secretary of the state said that the size of the land that fell in river bank erosion would be about 5000 Sq km. But it is believed that the furious fast flowing rivers eroded mass more lands displacing