Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: Flooding in the Siang River is tearing through Borguli village in Arunachal Pradesh. It has destroyed vital Wet Rice Cultivation fields and threatens the future of local farming families. On Friday, ZPM Bapiyang Tayeng led an inspection team including Water Resource Department Assistant Engineer Bani Langkam and Gaon Burahs Nogen Yirang, Tokong Tayeng, and Bidesor Perme to track the destruction. The river is claiming everything in its path.
Farmers Aki Tayeng, Golen Tayeng, Odan Tayeng, Joito Tayeng, and Jin Tayeng are watching their land vanish. Parts of Otil Tayeng's rice fields are already gone. He worries about the future. "The erosion has already reached my standing paddy field, and the remaining portion could be swallowed by the river at any time," he said. Beyond the paddies, the river has leveled bamboo groves and wiped out cash crops.
The catastrophe hits more than just Borguli. Namsing, Seram, Kongkul, Mer, and Gadum are also taking heavy hits. Mebo MLA Oken Tayeng stated that a pending mega flood-control project from Sigar to Mer is the only real fix. Small, scattered projects fail to stop the water. He argues that officials must move fast to protect schools, roads, power lines, and healthcare assets across the Mebo Assembly Constituency. The villagers are now calling on the government of Chief Minister Pema Khandu to provide compensation and build permanent defenses against the rising river.
Updated at 12th September 2026 at 9:46am
Farmer Otil Tayeng says his land is the only thing keeping his children in school, adding a personal weight to the loss of his WRC fields. The situation remains in limbo while the Water Resource Department finishes its damage report for the authorities.
MLA Oken Tayeng highlights that the destruction reaches far beyond farmland. Unlike the flood damage seen in the 37th and 38th assembly constituencies, residents in Lower Mebo are watching their schools, healthcare facilities, roads, and electrical grids vanish into the Siang River.
Comments