Siang River erosion swallows farmland in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar: Monsoon floods have carved away 600 metres of riverbank along the Siang River, destroying 10,800 square metres of farmland by August 3. The surge hit the Kongkin wet rice cultivation fields in Borguli village, gutting the primary income source for local farming families. The land loss continues to climb.

Pasighat Additional Deputy Commissioner Pebika Lego led a team of district and Water Resources Department officials to inspect the wreckage on Monday. Mebo ADC Nancy Yirang, Namsing Circle Officer Toimi Tagi, WRD Assistant Engineer Bani Langkam, and Borguli Gaon Burah Nogen Yirang joined the site visit. The group plans to submit a damage report and proposals for long-term flood mitigation to higher authorities.

Mebo MLA Oken Tayeng ordered the inspection and pressed the Arunachal Pradesh government for quick intervention. He noted that villages including Seram, Namsing, Mer, Gadum, and Sigar face recurring destruction every year. Tayeng demanded a permanent embankment from Sigar to Mer to protect the Lower Mebo and Monggu Banggo regions.

"The legislator said villages such as Borguli, Seram, Namsing, Mer, Gadum and Sigar suffer extensive damage every year due to flooding, resulting in the loss of hundreds of hectares of agricultural and residential land."

Tayeng insists the project requires combined funding from state and central governments. Farmers wait for word on their future.