Guwahati, April 21: Assam Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota, IAS, chaired a consultative meeting on a proposed policy framework for the riverine islands (chars and chaporis) of the Brahmaputra River, an initiative of the Brahmaputra Board.
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| Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota chairs a consultative meeting in Guwahati to discuss a draft policy for sustainable management of Brahmaputra riverine islands. (Image: x.com/CSAssam_) |
The meeting was attended by Dr. Ranbir Singh, IAS (Retd.), Chairman of the Brahmaputra Board, along with stakeholders from the Government of India, Government of Assam, and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
During the discussion, the Chief Secretary highlighted that the chars and chaporis are highly dynamic ecosystems shaped by erosion, deposition, floods, and seismic activity. Assam currently has around 971 mapped riverine islands, covering about 8.5 percent of the state’s area, with nearly 2.7 million people - around 10 percent of the population - living on just 4.6 percent of the land.
He pointed out challenges such as high population density, unclear land tenure, and increasing human pressures, including unregulated settlements, deforestation, chemical agriculture, and sand mining, which contribute to ecological degradation and heightened disaster risks.
Dr. Kota also stressed the ecological importance of these islands as biodiversity habitats, wildlife corridors, and key elements of river morphology, calling for a comprehensive and integrated policy framework.
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Among the key suggestions discussed were adopting a zonation-based landscape approach, regulating construction and settlement expansion, preventing encroachment, promoting organic agriculture, and encouraging carefully managed eco-tourism.
He also emphasized nature-based riverbank stabilization, protection of ecological corridors, and maintaining hydrological and morphological balance of the river system.
The Chief Secretary directed all concerned departments to review the draft policy and submit their inputs before it is finalized, aiming to create a science-based and resilient framework for sustainable management of Assam’s riverine landscapes.
