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| Bhubon Pegu delivering speech in an anti-big dam rally in Guwahati |
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Bhubon Pegu's latest public appearance
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Women and Science:Needs for new policy formulation
There is a need for crucial insight on the participation of women in the area of sciences.Scientific knowledge plays a central role in today's modernized society.To see things from gender viewpoint,we happen to see that there is a wide gap between men and women in educational institution,engineering,technology,research relating to sciences.This fact is surprisingly ignore by the nation's policymakers.If India's vision of developed country by 2020 is to be fulfilled,there must be end to the kind practices that are against women.In this globalized contemporary world,the country must be prepared for ''global competitive readiness'' in the field of sciences too.Conventional barriers like negative stereotyping of girls' such as their interests and abilities towards sciences,math and research are in dire needs that requires rethinking and reformulation at the policy levels of government and society at large as well.In a study done by one Bix in 1996,it shows that women activism reveals success not only in making public awareness but also in making use of statistics to gain research money and challenge research in breast cancer research,so women are a key component in the field that concerns them most.The liberal feminist approach says that there should be equal access to science by women and in the labor force.Here it speak of schooling and employment as an over riding agenda while the transformative perspective point out that it is not a question of adding women in sciences but demasculinize the arenas that are under male domains.In 1993,the science and technology office of the UK said that women are the country's most underutilzed resources.If science is conceived as an institutionalized means that is crucial for national economic development or ''science for progress'' is the mantra of national development,women's role in this field can hardly be ignored.Therefore,the question of gender equity in science is not just a question for feminist alone,the challenge is for all.Our country must look beyond conventional thinking and policies in regard to science and women.
References:
Drori,Gili.S;Science in the modern world polity: institutionalization and globalization,Stanford University Press,2003
Internationalisation and Globalisation in Mathematics and Science Education
Angela Calabrese Barton, Bill Atweh, Marcelo C. Borba, Noel Gough, Christine Keitel, Catherine Vistro-Yu, Renuka Vithal,2008
Copyright:Bhaskar Pegu
References:
Drori,Gili.S;Science in the modern world polity: institutionalization and globalization,Stanford University Press,2003
Internationalisation and Globalisation in Mathematics and Science Education
Angela Calabrese Barton, Bill Atweh, Marcelo C. Borba, Noel Gough, Christine Keitel, Catherine Vistro-Yu, Renuka Vithal,2008
Copyright:Bhaskar Pegu
Friday, November 12, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Looking back!!Am I really a fundamentalist Mising???????????????
I feel that my friends were not wrong to called me a "fundamentalist Mising" in my college days.All the earlier blog posts seemed to reflect who i was during my college life.I am opening this college diary (blog)after many days (months!)and looking back my past .But it was naive to judged i was doing only "fundamentalist"kind of things.So I put my thoughts into writing to judge my stance...before all my friends who dubbed me "fundamentalist" whom i think they were less informed on my writings.To begin with,I wrote in the national magazine like "Frontline" on different issues which were published in the letters columns from Fidel Castro to Indo-China relations ...Naxalites issues....tribal issues....Also in the The Assam Tribune on different issues from engineering college in Dhemaji to reopening of Library in Guwahati....power cuts,rail coach...women trafficking...etc. on Letters columns..i made my writing appeared in "The Hindu" comparing on Irom Shamila's hunger strike and KCR's fasting for Telengana in India.I once highlighted the Matmara issue on Geotube Tech embankment in an Assamese daily Asomiya Pratidin which i saw later on that my idea was included as part of a political party's manifestoes.Besides,I also signed up many online petitions through Survival International and Greenpeace on human rights and environmental issues.(Thank God,most writings are available on web till now!)
One shouln't think that i wrote all things only on Mising issues...sorry I clarified one thing on our place in "The Hindu"quite different from many familiar issues.......i highlighted in my college days.I feel now sorry if I'd ever hurt other's(Non-Mising) sentiments......but many things improved by doing all these sort of "sentimental things"....which has been helping me in broadening my mental calibre....What actually is that i was born and brought up in Mising society ....never intermingled with other cultures before coming to Guwahati....whatever i know was from Mising society and my rural educational background....so it was obvious that i "bark" more on Mising.My perceptions and interpretations of this world are based on my experiences with the society andthe knowledge i have acquired hitherto.If writings on small tribe like Mising society is construed as conservative one...or a fundamentalist kind of thing...i'm happy with friend's accorded "label"!Whether i'm a "fundamentalist" or not everyone can decide.....it's up to you dear reader.....if someone is called "fundamentalist" because of writing such things i think there should be a more definitional inclusiveness of the term.In SRK styled tone I want to shout :"My name is Bhaskar PEGU but i'm not a fundamentalist MISING".
(Dedicated to my college friends of Cotton College and my known and unknown critics)
One shouln't think that i wrote all things only on Mising issues...sorry I clarified one thing on our place in "The Hindu"quite different from many familiar issues.......i highlighted in my college days.I feel now sorry if I'd ever hurt other's(Non-Mising) sentiments......but many things improved by doing all these sort of "sentimental things"....which has been helping me in broadening my mental calibre....What actually is that i was born and brought up in Mising society ....never intermingled with other cultures before coming to Guwahati....whatever i know was from Mising society and my rural educational background....so it was obvious that i "bark" more on Mising.My perceptions and interpretations of this world are based on my experiences with the society andthe knowledge i have acquired hitherto.If writings on small tribe like Mising society is construed as conservative one...or a fundamentalist kind of thing...i'm happy with friend's accorded "label"!Whether i'm a "fundamentalist" or not everyone can decide.....it's up to you dear reader.....if someone is called "fundamentalist" because of writing such things i think there should be a more definitional inclusiveness of the term.In SRK styled tone I want to shout :"My name is Bhaskar PEGU but i'm not a fundamentalist MISING".
(Dedicated to my college friends of Cotton College and my known and unknown critics)
Monday, March 22, 2010
TMPK mulls ‘armed struggle’ over MAC issue
| By our Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, March 19: The TMPK has hinted at an armed struggle against the State Government if the authorities continue to dilly-dally on the organization’s demands for election to the Mising Autonomous Council (MAC) and inclusion of the Council in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. “We have been agitating for election to the MAC and inclusion of the Council in the Sixth Schedule for long. The government has given us false promises ever since. It seems the government will pay heed to our demands only if we explode bombs or take up arms”, said TMPK president Johan Dole at a news conference here today. Dole insisted that the CBI should probe the financial anomalies that had taken place in the MAC since 1995. The State Government had recently announced a CBI investigation into the corruption in the MAC following public outcry over the issue. All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU) president Tankeswar Rabha demanded submission of the report of the Dr Bhumidhar Barman-led ministerial level committee which was constituted by the State Government on December 18 2003 to examine the demand of various organizations for inclusion of the MAC, Tiwa Autonomous Council (TAC) and Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. “The report of the ministerial-level committee has not been submitted till date. It shows that there is a conspiracy to stop the process of elections to the MAC, TAC and RBAC. The report should be submitted immediately”, said Rabha. Referring to the cases pending in the Gauhati High Court against the MAC, TAC and RHAC, the ARSU leader said the government was legally bound to conduct elections to the autonomous councils, adding, “Cases have been filed in the HC by people of the government and so the government should settle the cases to facilitate early elections to the councils”. Rabha claimed that the ARSU had seized at least 150 illegal seals from the office of the RHAC which, he said, revealed corruption in the Council. “The government needs to carry out a proper inquiry into the corruption in the RHAC”, he added. Source:The Sentinel,March 20,2010 | ||
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Experts’ bid to unravel causes behind erosion
Ajit Patowary
GUWAHATI, Jan 21 – Experts are trying to determine the factors mainly responsible for river bank erosion in Assam, particularly in its Brahmaputra Valley for several decades, as, erosion has been causing more havoc for the State’s people compared to flood. Five experts have, in a joint paper, pointed out to some vital factors, which have been triggering erosion in the State.
It is estimated that around 7.4 per cent of land areas of the Brahmaputra Valley has been lost due to bank erosion ‘in the recent history of observation.’
The five experts in a joint paper have maintained that in general, the losses due to erosion show an increasing trend. They have said that the reports available with the Assam Water Resources Department indicate loss of 3,860 square kilo meters (sq kms) of State’s land since 1954 due to this factor. The rate of loss is estimated to be about 80 sq kms per year.
The erosion of the Brahmaputra wiped out more than 2,500 villages and 18 towns, including sites of cultural heritage and tea gardens, affecting the lives of nearly half a million people.
About 130 river reaches are presently classified as being under moderate to severe erosion and 25 reaches as very severe. A comparison between the value of land lost to riverbank erosion and flood damage, between 1954 and 1969, indicates that the costs of riverbank erosion were 35 per cent to 85 per cent of the losses caused by the ravages of flood, said these experts.
In their paper – River Bank Erosion and Restoration in the Brahmaputra River in India – Dr Arvind Phukan, a former Professor in the University of Alaska, Rajib Goswami of the State Water Resources Department, Dr Deva Borah of the Woolpert Inc, Portsmouth, Ananta Nath of the Big Cypress Basin, South Florida Water Management District, and Dr Chandan Mahanta of the Guwahati IIT, made the above observation.
These experts, in their above paper, have tried to throw light on the factors responsible for riverbank erosion. To them, the rate of rise and fall in river water level, number and position of the major channels which remain active during flood and the angle at which the thalweg approaches the bank line, are the factors responsible for bank erosion.
Besides, they found the amount of scour and deposition that occurs during the flood, variability of the cohesive soil in bank material composition, formation and movement of large bed forms, intensity of bank slumping and progression of abandoned river courses to present-day channel also to be responsible for river bank erosion in the State.
They further maintained that due to the braided characteristics, the main stem river consists of variable number of different sized channels and sand bars which change their locations and sizes each year.
The most significant bank line modifications take place during the falling stages when excess sediment is deposited as bars within channel, causing a change in local flow direction and migration of thalweg.
During floods, because of change of river hydraulics (mainly depth, velocity and shear stress), inducing variable sediment transport characteristics and erosive forces, the channel starts shifting at some vulnerable reaches, they observed.
The key factors that cause extreme instability in the Brahmaputra river at many vulnerable reaches, such as – Nagaghuli, Maijan, Majuli, Bhairabpur, Balikuchi, Kaziranga, Howlighat and Palasbari – are aggradation of the riverbed, intense braiding, large water discharge and heavy sediment load since the 1950 flood, said these experts.
Moreover, there is a tendency of the river to shift southward within the valley reach. The tendency has become more prominent after the Great Earthquake of 1950, which raised the whole landmass of the northeastern part of the valley, particularly the north of the river including the Himalayan foothill region by 3 to 4 metres.
This southward thrust has initiated widespread erosion in the south bank near the Dibrugarh town and is still continuing at different reaches in spite of the implementation of aggressive bank protection measures. The Assam Water Resources Department has identified 25 such vulnerable and severe river bank erosion sites.
Moreover, they said, the records of the last century show a general trend of widening of the Brahmaputra in Assam. The widening trend of the river is clearly visible when compared with the erosion and accretion rates over different periods. Long-term observations on width changes of the river are available, although data from different authors are not directly comparable, they said.
GUWAHATI, Jan 21 – Experts are trying to determine the factors mainly responsible for river bank erosion in Assam, particularly in its Brahmaputra Valley for several decades, as, erosion has been causing more havoc for the State’s people compared to flood. Five experts have, in a joint paper, pointed out to some vital factors, which have been triggering erosion in the State.
It is estimated that around 7.4 per cent of land areas of the Brahmaputra Valley has been lost due to bank erosion ‘in the recent history of observation.’
The five experts in a joint paper have maintained that in general, the losses due to erosion show an increasing trend. They have said that the reports available with the Assam Water Resources Department indicate loss of 3,860 square kilo meters (sq kms) of State’s land since 1954 due to this factor. The rate of loss is estimated to be about 80 sq kms per year.
The erosion of the Brahmaputra wiped out more than 2,500 villages and 18 towns, including sites of cultural heritage and tea gardens, affecting the lives of nearly half a million people.
About 130 river reaches are presently classified as being under moderate to severe erosion and 25 reaches as very severe. A comparison between the value of land lost to riverbank erosion and flood damage, between 1954 and 1969, indicates that the costs of riverbank erosion were 35 per cent to 85 per cent of the losses caused by the ravages of flood, said these experts.
In their paper – River Bank Erosion and Restoration in the Brahmaputra River in India – Dr Arvind Phukan, a former Professor in the University of Alaska, Rajib Goswami of the State Water Resources Department, Dr Deva Borah of the Woolpert Inc, Portsmouth, Ananta Nath of the Big Cypress Basin, South Florida Water Management District, and Dr Chandan Mahanta of the Guwahati IIT, made the above observation.
These experts, in their above paper, have tried to throw light on the factors responsible for riverbank erosion. To them, the rate of rise and fall in river water level, number and position of the major channels which remain active during flood and the angle at which the thalweg approaches the bank line, are the factors responsible for bank erosion.
Besides, they found the amount of scour and deposition that occurs during the flood, variability of the cohesive soil in bank material composition, formation and movement of large bed forms, intensity of bank slumping and progression of abandoned river courses to present-day channel also to be responsible for river bank erosion in the State.
They further maintained that due to the braided characteristics, the main stem river consists of variable number of different sized channels and sand bars which change their locations and sizes each year.
The most significant bank line modifications take place during the falling stages when excess sediment is deposited as bars within channel, causing a change in local flow direction and migration of thalweg.
During floods, because of change of river hydraulics (mainly depth, velocity and shear stress), inducing variable sediment transport characteristics and erosive forces, the channel starts shifting at some vulnerable reaches, they observed.
The key factors that cause extreme instability in the Brahmaputra river at many vulnerable reaches, such as – Nagaghuli, Maijan, Majuli, Bhairabpur, Balikuchi, Kaziranga, Howlighat and Palasbari – are aggradation of the riverbed, intense braiding, large water discharge and heavy sediment load since the 1950 flood, said these experts.
Moreover, there is a tendency of the river to shift southward within the valley reach. The tendency has become more prominent after the Great Earthquake of 1950, which raised the whole landmass of the northeastern part of the valley, particularly the north of the river including the Himalayan foothill region by 3 to 4 metres.
This southward thrust has initiated widespread erosion in the south bank near the Dibrugarh town and is still continuing at different reaches in spite of the implementation of aggressive bank protection measures. The Assam Water Resources Department has identified 25 such vulnerable and severe river bank erosion sites.
Moreover, they said, the records of the last century show a general trend of widening of the Brahmaputra in Assam. The widening trend of the river is clearly visible when compared with the erosion and accretion rates over different periods. Long-term observations on width changes of the river are available, although data from different authors are not directly comparable, they said.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Eviction notice to Mising at Gohpur
The Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) today warned of dire consequences if the State Government insists on evicting the indigenous Mising people living on the bank of the Brahmaputra in Sonitpur district in the name of sixth expansion of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). The students’ body said in a statement signed by its president Johan Doley, general secretary Indra Kumar Chungkrang and publicity secretary Rahul Loying, alleged that the State Government has been hatching a plot to settle the suspected Bangladesh nationals in parts of the national park between Jakhalabandha and Bagori, along the National Highway.
And to facilitate this illegal settlement, the Government has now served eviction notices on the indigenous people of 18 villages under Bakoridoloni Gaon Panchayat, Bartamuly Gaon Panchayat and Rawnamukh Gaon Panchayat in Sonitpur district, it said.The Government is turning a blind eye to the rapid encroachment in the Orang National Park and the Pabitara Wildlife Sanctuary. Under the very nose of the Forest Department of the State Government, encroachers belonging to doubtful nationality have eliminated the Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary.But, while all these are going on unabated, the State Forest Department has asked about 10,000 indigenous Mising people living in the above villages since time immemorial and who have been paying land revenue since 1947, to vacate their land measuring about 15,000 hectares for facilitating sixth expansion of the KNP.
If the Government has any plan to save the KNP, it should go for operations to evict the encroachers of doubtful origin from the National Park and also to protect the park’s land area from the erosion of the Brahmaputra, said the students’ body. It has demanded immediate revocation of the proposal for forth and sixth expansion of the KNP. As, it said, these would affect the indigenous people of the State. Or else, it warned that it would resist any attempt at implementing the above expansion programmes.
Courtesy:The Assam Tribune,Sept.11,2009
And to facilitate this illegal settlement, the Government has now served eviction notices on the indigenous people of 18 villages under Bakoridoloni Gaon Panchayat, Bartamuly Gaon Panchayat and Rawnamukh Gaon Panchayat in Sonitpur district, it said.The Government is turning a blind eye to the rapid encroachment in the Orang National Park and the Pabitara Wildlife Sanctuary. Under the very nose of the Forest Department of the State Government, encroachers belonging to doubtful nationality have eliminated the Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary.But, while all these are going on unabated, the State Forest Department has asked about 10,000 indigenous Mising people living in the above villages since time immemorial and who have been paying land revenue since 1947, to vacate their land measuring about 15,000 hectares for facilitating sixth expansion of the KNP.
If the Government has any plan to save the KNP, it should go for operations to evict the encroachers of doubtful origin from the National Park and also to protect the park’s land area from the erosion of the Brahmaputra, said the students’ body. It has demanded immediate revocation of the proposal for forth and sixth expansion of the KNP. As, it said, these would affect the indigenous people of the State. Or else, it warned that it would resist any attempt at implementing the above expansion programmes.
Courtesy:The Assam Tribune,Sept.11,2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Dhemaji remains cut-off for more than ten days
Leaders of Asom Gana Parishad visiting DhemajiDhemaji will remain cut-off by road for at least over ten days, as, the Border Road Organisation (BRO), which is engaged to restore road link to the district, will need 10 to 15 days more to install a bailey bridge over Samarajan. Road link to a major part of the district is disrupted for the 14 th day today since August 13. Railway link to the district is also snapped since August 13.
Meanwhile, work to restore the rail link is going on and it will take a few more days to complete the work, said NF Railway sources here.According Dhemaji Deputy Commissioner Dr P Ashok Babu, the district administration has put up two temporary foot bridges at Samarajan on the NH-52 and at Butikur on the Dhemaji-Dhakuwakhana PWD Road for the benefit of the people.The floodwaters of the Samarajan and Jiadhol-Kumatia had breached the NH-52 at three places. One of the breaches located at Samarajan is around 100 metre in length and the other two on both ends of the Jiadhol-2 Bridge, are comparatively smaller in size. People can cross the Jiadhol breaches on foot now as the floodwater has started receding for the rainless condition during the past three days. The BRO people are now doing the earth work to fill up the Jiadhol-2 Bridge breaches.It needs mention here that the recent wave of floods affected around 1.6 lakh people of 252 villages in the district.
The floodwaters affected vast areas of Dhemaji sub-division and some parts of Jonai sub-division. However, there is no report of outbreak of any communicable disease from any part of the district so far, said the Deputy Commissioner.By this time, floodwaters have started receding gradually in Majuli river island and normalcy is expected to return to the island within the next seven to ten days, said SDO (Civil) of Majuli P Handique.The civil administration of the island held a meeting with the traders’ organisations of the island today with view to maintaining the price line and also the quality of the essential items.
The traders are asked to display the price lists of the essential commodities for the knowledge of the customers, said the SDO.A meeting of the Gaon Burhas is also convened tomorrow by the civil administration to make them aware of the need to maintain a live communication with the civil administration on issues like food poisoning, outbreak of communicable diseases etc. It needs mention here that some islanders fell ill recently after taking maah prasad at a religious function.
Courtesy:The Assam Tribune,27-08-09
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Floods in Dhemaji,Lakhimpur
After a spate of dry spell in Assam ,three upper Assam districts Dhemaji,Lakhimpur and Sonitpur are hit by flash floods follwing heavy showers in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh and incessant rains in those districts.The flash floods has breached several embankments in the three districts in the rivers like Kakoi,Subansiri,Jiadhol,Kumotia.
At Dhemaji two persons were drowned including a three months child on 12 August in Bordoloni even the current of rivers washed away the two ends of a Bailey bridge.The damage in the bridge has cut off the district and parts of Arunachal Pradesh.In the meantime, the Ranganadi flood water has damaged a pier of the RCC Bridge over the river on the NH-5In Lakhimpur district, the Kakoi river has breached its right bank embankment at five places – two breaches at 5 km, one breach at 6 km and two breaches at 7km. The flood water of the river has also overtopped its right embankment between Lilabari TE and Kadom.
The Ronganadi has breached its left bank embankment at one place at 2nd km and the right bank embankment at three places – one each at 4.5 km, 6 km and 7km. The Singara has breached its dyke between Phulbari and Barsola – two breaches at 6km and one breach at 8 km. The Dorpang has breached its Rajgarh-Pichala embankment at 7km.It needs mention here that the Brahmajan had breached its left bank embankment at one place yesterday. With the rainfall during the past one week, the State has been able to overcome much of its deficit in rainfall. The deficit has come down to 18 per cent now. With the good rainfall activities during the past one week, the State has now recorded a total rainfall of 812.2mm, against the normal of 984.6 mm, since June 1. It needs mention here that meteorologists treat 19 per cent less or more rainfall as normal rainfall.
The State recorded 23 per cent deficit rainfall till August 8. It had received a total rainfall of 703.8 mm of rainfall till then against the normal of 920 mm, said sources in the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) here.The RMC sources also said that there is a likelihood of moderate rain or thundershower at many places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam-Mdghalaya, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram meteorological sub-divisions of the NE region till the morning of August 162, weakening the bridge, near North Lakhimpur town, the district headquarters of Lakhimpur.
References-The Assam Tribune,15 August,2009
At Dhemaji two persons were drowned including a three months child on 12 August in Bordoloni even the current of rivers washed away the two ends of a Bailey bridge.The damage in the bridge has cut off the district and parts of Arunachal Pradesh.In the meantime, the Ranganadi flood water has damaged a pier of the RCC Bridge over the river on the NH-5In Lakhimpur district, the Kakoi river has breached its right bank embankment at five places – two breaches at 5 km, one breach at 6 km and two breaches at 7km. The flood water of the river has also overtopped its right embankment between Lilabari TE and Kadom.
The Ronganadi has breached its left bank embankment at one place at 2nd km and the right bank embankment at three places – one each at 4.5 km, 6 km and 7km. The Singara has breached its dyke between Phulbari and Barsola – two breaches at 6km and one breach at 8 km. The Dorpang has breached its Rajgarh-Pichala embankment at 7km.It needs mention here that the Brahmajan had breached its left bank embankment at one place yesterday. With the rainfall during the past one week, the State has been able to overcome much of its deficit in rainfall. The deficit has come down to 18 per cent now. With the good rainfall activities during the past one week, the State has now recorded a total rainfall of 812.2mm, against the normal of 984.6 mm, since June 1. It needs mention here that meteorologists treat 19 per cent less or more rainfall as normal rainfall.
The State recorded 23 per cent deficit rainfall till August 8. It had received a total rainfall of 703.8 mm of rainfall till then against the normal of 920 mm, said sources in the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) here.The RMC sources also said that there is a likelihood of moderate rain or thundershower at many places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam-Mdghalaya, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram meteorological sub-divisions of the NE region till the morning of August 162, weakening the bridge, near North Lakhimpur town, the district headquarters of Lakhimpur.
References-The Assam Tribune,15 August,2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
An Experience in Matmara,simple folks were exploited by Malyasian corporate
For the last few months i traveled many Tani inhabited places and now here is a piece of writing which i encountered in Matmara,Northeast India's most flood ravaged area located in Assam's Lakhimpur district.
I experienced this happening on June 01,2009 when i was visiting Matmara to see the latest geotube fabric embankment construction sanctioned at Rs.142 crore whereas the contract has been handed over to a Malayasian corporate named Emaskira by the Assam government.
I was taking rest in a shop front after reaching the place because i felt exhausted after riding the bicycle in the scorching heat of beginning June.I saw a group of people gathering beneath a tree in circle.Therefore i asked my brother to enquired the matter who was also coming with me.Without waiting for the result,I got into the place after i heard someone speaking in English ,then i asked my Tani fellows who were in the circle on the matter .
The fellows briefed me the matter in Tani(Mishi) language.The fact was that our Tani people were appealing a foreign engineer,a fat man who was in his forties,to increase their wage rate of night working hours.Our people ,who were engaged as labours to fix bamboo in the river bank, were insisting for Rs.20 per hour but the company man was offering them only Rs.10 per hour for the night work.Our people were helpless because there was no one to translate there speaking into English,just the folks were saying ok,ok.
I landed on the scene and helped out our people's demand to the engineer.I told the fat Malayasian that our people want larger wage rate since night jobs are risky and these simple people has no place to get work because everything has gone in the repeated floods.At first the foreigner responded me by increasing the wage upto Rs 12 but said it is the right international wage rate and they can't do more.But our people got angry after hearing it and said if Rs 100 is paid for eight hours work in day time how could it be possible.
I told the engineer again word of every word in English after listening the people's words.Two Assamese speaking subcontractors ,i guessed,were standing by the side.After that the Malayasian murmurred with the two Asomiyas.By then,the scene was becoming hotter as our people were gradually turning excited.Again,the wage rate was now increased up to Rs 15.10 per hour even our people were seemed unsatisfied till.Our people spoke me in Tani and asked me to tell the engineer that they are not working if the wage rate was so,also our people will not allowed other men to work there if they are not given the said wage.
Meanwhile,i explained the Malayasian and the Asomiya duo in English what the people had told.Ah!By now they increased the rate up to Rs 18.75 per hour and said that this is the exact international wage rate and they are paying their best.At last our people seemed to be satisfied and slowly got dispersed.One or two asked where i was from and thanked me for the assistance.
I want to asked my fellow readers of my blog,isn't the Malayasian corporate exploiting our people by taking the advantage of people's ignorance?
If not,why the corporate's international wage rate went zig zag in a few minutes?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Faulty engineering work led to Matmora breach’
A section of the State’s senior water resources engineers is of the opinion that the spacing of the bullhead spurs in the Matmora area and their not being linked up with the un-submersible riverbank, resulted in intense erosion activities of the Brahmaputra in that area.These engineers also maintain that initially erosion of the Brahmaputra in Matmora area was triggered by the Railways’ closing of the Brahmaputra channel near Kareng Chapori, which is located at the upstream of Matmora.
The channel was hugging the north bank. The channel’s closure resulted in erosion in the downstream areas.All these features need careful study while planning and executing any anti-erosion project afresh in Matmora area, said these engineers. It needs mention here that the Water Resources Department (WRD) of the State constructed three river-stone bullhead spurs in Matmora area in 2002-03. Those spurs were aimed at pushing the deep channel of the Brahmaputra away from the north bank to the middle of the river course.The spacing of the bullheads was such that big gaps were left amid the structures enabling the river channel to flow with unhindered intensity. The design so far as these gaps were concerned, contradicted the acceptable engineering norms. Moreover, the spurs were not linked to the bank. The practice of linking the spurs to the unsubmersible bank, with proper fortification, is crucial so as to prevent their outflanking by the river, said the engineers.
Consequently, during the early waves of the 2003 floods, the downstream end bullhead came under intense onslaught of the Brahmaputra. The rear end of the bullhead had to bear the brunt of the flood waters.And in 2004, this bullhead was outflanked and the bank itself became vulnerable to the Brahmaputra onslaught. For the entire rainy season that year and also in the next year, this process continued and by the end of 2005, all the bullheads were outflanked by the Brahmaputra.The strong bank of the bullheads now came inside the river and these structures, built to push the deep channel to the midstream, themselves started pushing the river towards the north bank.
This led to repeated breach of the embankment in Matmora area.The last devastating breach of the dyke occurred in 2008 and it posed grave threat to Dhakuakhana and Majuli subdivisions, said the engineers. On the present history of the erosion in the area, the engineers said that erosion first started near Kareng Chapori, about 20 km upstream of Matmora, around 2000 AD.Since 2000 AD, erosion of the Brahmaputra led to the breach in the Barbil-Kareng Chapori dyke on two occasions.
NF Railway closed the breach in 2002-03. But the flood that occurred immediately after this breach closure, washed away the closed portion of the dyke.Railways then closed the breach again and simultaneously it started laying the approach road to the north end of the Bogibeel Bridge.
This closed the Brahmaputra channel that was hugging the north bank. This reduced the pressure on the Kareng Chapori, but the pressure of the Brahmaputra on the Matmora area intensified since then, said the engineers.They suggested that the government should take into consideration the history of dyke failure in Matmora area with right earnest to prevent recurrence of such developments in future.
Courtesy:The Assam Tribune,March 25,2009
The channel was hugging the north bank. The channel’s closure resulted in erosion in the downstream areas.All these features need careful study while planning and executing any anti-erosion project afresh in Matmora area, said these engineers. It needs mention here that the Water Resources Department (WRD) of the State constructed three river-stone bullhead spurs in Matmora area in 2002-03. Those spurs were aimed at pushing the deep channel of the Brahmaputra away from the north bank to the middle of the river course.The spacing of the bullheads was such that big gaps were left amid the structures enabling the river channel to flow with unhindered intensity. The design so far as these gaps were concerned, contradicted the acceptable engineering norms. Moreover, the spurs were not linked to the bank. The practice of linking the spurs to the unsubmersible bank, with proper fortification, is crucial so as to prevent their outflanking by the river, said the engineers.
Consequently, during the early waves of the 2003 floods, the downstream end bullhead came under intense onslaught of the Brahmaputra. The rear end of the bullhead had to bear the brunt of the flood waters.And in 2004, this bullhead was outflanked and the bank itself became vulnerable to the Brahmaputra onslaught. For the entire rainy season that year and also in the next year, this process continued and by the end of 2005, all the bullheads were outflanked by the Brahmaputra.The strong bank of the bullheads now came inside the river and these structures, built to push the deep channel to the midstream, themselves started pushing the river towards the north bank.
This led to repeated breach of the embankment in Matmora area.The last devastating breach of the dyke occurred in 2008 and it posed grave threat to Dhakuakhana and Majuli subdivisions, said the engineers. On the present history of the erosion in the area, the engineers said that erosion first started near Kareng Chapori, about 20 km upstream of Matmora, around 2000 AD.Since 2000 AD, erosion of the Brahmaputra led to the breach in the Barbil-Kareng Chapori dyke on two occasions.
NF Railway closed the breach in 2002-03. But the flood that occurred immediately after this breach closure, washed away the closed portion of the dyke.Railways then closed the breach again and simultaneously it started laying the approach road to the north end of the Bogibeel Bridge.
This closed the Brahmaputra channel that was hugging the north bank. This reduced the pressure on the Kareng Chapori, but the pressure of the Brahmaputra on the Matmora area intensified since then, said the engineers.They suggested that the government should take into consideration the history of dyke failure in Matmora area with right earnest to prevent recurrence of such developments in future.
Courtesy:The Assam Tribune,March 25,2009
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