Villages in Assam’s Barpeta district are once again grappling with the escalating menace of the Burhadia river, which continues to shift its course and trigger severe erosion and flooding.

The river, which flows through Nalbari district before entering Barpeta near Kalatali and Parahkuchi villages under Paka mouza, eventually merges with the Tihu river.

The last four-kilometre stretch of the river has become a hotspot for recurrent floods, severely impacting the local population.

The Burhadia river has shifted its course in several areas, depositing sand on one side while eroding riverbanks, homes, and trees on the other.

In Kalatali village, located on the river’s left bank, multiple families have lost their homes and property to the aggressive current.

Trees and bamboo groves have been uprooted, and the soil erosion continues unabated.

Near the Tihu-Sarathebari road, the river has veered left, leading to annual destruction in nearby low-lying areas.

While one side of the riverbank has formed a char—a sandy island with fresh vegetation—the other side continues to erode rapidly.

Parahkuchi village, situated on the right bank, also suffered significant damage last year, with several families losing their houses and agricultural land.

Floodwaters have submerged homes and trees along the river, and the most recent flood eroded approximately 400 metres of an agricultural embankment on the right bank.

This has caused major traffic disruptions for around 50 families in the western part of the village.

With the embankment left exposed and no reinforcements in place, the risk of widespread flooding remains high.

Although the Water Resources Department has proposed constructing protective embankments on both sides of the Burhadia river, officials have confirmed that the work will only begin after the current monsoon season.

In the meantime, no temporary flood-control measures have been implemented, leaving vulnerable residents anxious and sleepless as they fear further loss of life and property.

Locals have made repeated appeals to the state government and the Water Resources Department to initiate immediate, temporary erosion-control measures.

They have also urged Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjit Kumar Dass to personally intervene in the matter.

The residents stress that without timely action, more families living along the riverbanks may face devastation in the coming months.

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