Question

Write 10 points on the impact of river Brahmaputra on Assam.​

Answer 1

Answer:

Positive Impacts of the River:

1. People and communities in 22 districts of Assam use River Brahmaputra for meeting their livelihood in the form of wading of cattle, fishing, and cultivation of different types of crops, irrigation and riverine transport.
2. During 2013-14 the total no. of passengers transported through inland water transport system in Brahmaputra stood at 70, 39,000. Total amount of goods transported through this system was 3, 56,552 Metric Tons. These figures show comparatively higher magnitudes of transportation of men and material in the economy of Assam.
3. Ten ports/ferry ghats in five districts of Assam, namely, Kamrup, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Jorhat and Dibrugarh Assam are fully operational for transportation of men, material and animals.
4. Operation of ferry services has given rise to creation of employment for 5344 persons.
5. River Brahmaputra and its tributaries carry more than 30 per cent of the total water resources potential of the country.
6. In the last few years there has been a spurt of activity in identifying 46 dams in the Brahmaputra basin in Assam of which three of them are in various stages of operation and are expected to produce more than 2000 MW of power.
7. Nineteen important tourist hot spots in the state are situated in places on the banks of river Brahmaputra.
8. Cruise tourism has emerged as an important adventure and pleasure tourism across the river. CNN International in 2013 has recognised Brahmaputra cruises as one of the top 10 most adventures cruises.
9. Total number of tourists to the state increased from 3493527 to 4463479 during the period from 2006-07 to 2013-14 showing an increase of 28 per cent. This has resulted revenue accrual of ₹191 lakhs in the form of rental charges for different types of accommodations. Sizeable chunk of this tourist flow and revenue earned can be attributed to tourism activities on river Brahmaputra.

Negative Impacts and Concerns:

1.There has been internal displacement and migration to urban areas because of loss of land by the natives like the Missings and other marginalized communities.

2.River bank erosion has wiped out more than 2500 villages and 18 towns including sites of cultural heritage and tea gardens, affecting the lives of nearly 5 lakh people. Satellite image estimation shows that the total land loss per year due to erosion of Brahmaputra ranges from 72.5 to 80 sq. km/year during 1997 to 2007–08.

3.Flood hazard of 2004 broke all the previous records of flood damage, affecting 28.5 million hectare of land, 12.57 million hectare of cropland, 12.3 million people, and 10,560 villages besides claiming 251 human lives and innumerable cattle and wildlife. All the 27 districts were affected by the flood and the total damage was estimated at ₹6500 crore.

4.Erosion hazard posed by the Brahmaputra is also extremely severe in several vulnerable sections like Majuli, Palasbari, Rohmoria, Bhuragaon and Bokuwal.

5.Majuli, the world's largest inhabited freshwater island and the legendary nerve centre of Neo-Vaishnavite cultural heritage of Assam, has already lost as much as 371 sq. km of its landmass to the river in the last 50 years.s

6.Industrial units like Numaligarh Refinery, Upper Assam Industrial Areas of Oil and Coal Fields, Numaligarh Refinery, and Jogighopa Paper Mill which are discharging their effluents in to the river, are polluting the aqua life and water of the river.

7.The typical flow of river Brahmaputra has given rise to formation of large number of Chars. The geographical spread of the Chars is all over 14 districts of Assam en route the journey of the river. There is an element of geographical instability of the chars primarily caused by the erosion, silting, and inundation due to floods and change of the course of the river Brahmaputra.

8.The char areas inhabit 9.37 per cent of the total population of the state while they possess only 4 per cent of Assam’s agricultural land. During the 10 year period from 1992-93 to 2002-03, the area of the char land has increased by 1.37 per cent whereas population in these areas has increased by 56 per cent. This has led to an increase of density by two times of the density of population of the state leading to an enhanced stress on the limited resources.

9.High growth of population, low literacy, poor health infrastructure, inadequate physical infrastructure and uncertain livelihood opportunities together has trapped the char people in a perpetual state of poverty and underdevelopment.

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