Hopes were afloat in the shrinking and sinking river island Majuli on Thursday after the BJP-led Assam Government upgraded it to a full-fledged district. With this Majuli, which is known as the largest river island in the world, becomes the first and only island district in India.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also held a meeting of his Cabinet at the island on Thursday, which unanimously resolved to take several steps not only to develop the island but also to boost conservation of the rich cultural heritage, eco-system, flora and fauna, which are under threat due to rampant soil erosion every year.
The island, which comprises only 352 sq km of landmass now, has already lost over 50 per cent of its landmass due to erosion since 1950. The Assam Cabinet took the decision to upgrade Majuli Island, which used to be a subdivision of Jorhat district till now, at its first Cabinet meeting on May 24 this year after coming to power in Assam.
It was also one of the prominent poll promises of the BJP before the April 2016 polls in Assam.
Known as the top seat of neo-Vaishnavite culture propagated by 15th century saint and reformer Srimanta Sankardeva, Majuli had remained backward due to long neglect by subsequent Governments at Dispur and due to severe erosion every year. The island had also lost 43 of the total 65 Vaishnavite Satras set up by Sankardeva and his disciple Madhavdeva.
“If we want to usher in an era of development in Majuli, everybody has to render their concerted efforts.
I represent Majuli in the Assam legislative Assembly and so I have more responsibility towards the island. I am happy that the island was today declared as a district and I promise to you that the Government will leave no stone unturned to develop it,” said Sonowal while addressing a huge gathering at Majuli.
“The biggest problem of Majuli is erosion. We have to work in coordination with the Central Government to stop erosion. I agree that a lot of things need to be done for the island. My Government is only three-months-old and we are going to work hard to fulfil all the promises we made to you before the polls,” he said.
He said that all the Ministers in the Cabinet have expressed their desires to take up special schemes for the island to develop it in all spheres and to develop it at par with other districts in the State.
Divulging the Cabinet’s decision, the Chief Minister said that a Rapid Action Centre of Water Resources Department would be set up in Majuli, which would give remedial steps for flood and erosion problem in the island.
“It is also the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make the island a global platform for tourism and conservation. Majuli has lots of potential to grow as a tourism hot-spot and we are going to make it one of the best tourism hot-spots in the State in the days to come,” he said adding that the Government has also been working to prepare a quality dossier on Majuli to be submitted to the Unesco authorities seeking World Heritage Site status for it.
It may be mentioned here that the upgradation of Majuli to a district assumes significance as it is expected to have better infrastructure now and the people of the island no longer need to go to Jorhat for their administrative work, crossing the mighty Brahmaputra River.
The island is mainly accessible by boats only from Jorhat as of now and it remains cut off from other parts of the State and Jorhat mainly during the flood season. Now after becoming a district, all the Government offices would be shifted to Majuli for the benefit of the locals.
Union Minister for Surface Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari had laid the foundation stone last year to connect Majuli through bridges from Jorhat and lakhimpur.