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Valley-Dwellers The worst victims of Assam’s flood
Jahidul Islam Khan
Every Indian is aware of the destructive and regretful condition of the people of char areas or the areas of the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys. These remorsed conditions occurred mainly in Assam due to the flood and erosion created mainly by the mighty Brahmaputra. It destroys the minimum standard living conditions of the char or valley areas.
The valley areas are called the river islands. The greatest river island of the world is Majuli which is situated in Assam surrounded by the Brahmaputra river. The valley areas occupy about 4.6% of the total land area of our Assam. About 9.37% of the total population of Assam is in the valley areas. The valley-dwellers occupy 4% to 5% of the agricultural land of Assam. The density of population in these areas is about 650 to 700 persons per square kilometer. Most of the valley- dwellers are Bengalispeaking Muslims. There is saga of devastation and loss. The mighty Brahmaputra and few other rivers destroy the agricultural land in the over flowing flood and cause uncountable destructions of land due to the constant erosion. These rivers destroy the paddy fields and the lands of raw materials such as vegetables and jute productions. So, these dwellers cannot rise economically in their everyday lives. This remorseful condition generally reaches its highest position in the summer and rainy season. As per the statistical data of the Assam Water Resources Department the average damage of the valley areas is about Rs. 124 crore per year and the average erosion rate is about 8,000 hectares per year. Such damages and erosions are affecting more than 90,000 families of Assam spreading over 2500 villages. For these destructive conditions the valleydwellers cannot take education in their lives. Some people are lower educated than elementary level, few are half educated in secondary level and very few are higher educated at college and university levels. The Char Ministry and the Char Development Authority of Assam has not taken any step for development.
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