APSC Answer Writing (Daily) based on Assam Tribune – 12/06/2025
For APSC CCE and other Assam Competitive examinations aspirants, practicing Daily Answer Writing is vital. This blog covers the most important Main question and its model Answer from the Assam Tribune today (12-06-2025).
📝 Mains Question (GS Paper 3 – Disaster Management | Geography | Assam-Specific):
Q. “Riverbank erosion in Assam is a more silent but devastating disaster than floods.” Discuss the causes, impacts, and suggest a long-term mitigation strategy.
📘 Model Answer
Introduction
While floods in Assam make headlines every monsoon, riverbank erosion—especially along the Brahmaputra and its tributaries—remains a chronic and under-reported disaster. Unlike floods that are seasonal and visible, erosion displaces land, homes, and livelihoods permanently, often without formal recognition or compensation. It affects over 8 lakh people annually and causes loss of 8,000 hectares of land.
Causes of Riverbank Erosion in Assam
| Cause | Explanation |
| High Sediment Load | Brahmaputra carries one of the world’s highest sediment volumes, leading to siltation and shifting banks |
| Channel Migration | The river frequently changes course due to its braided structure |
| Deforestation & Mining | Upland degradation and sand mining weaken riverbanks |
| Seismic Instability | Assam is in a seismically active zone, destabilizing riverbeds |
| Unregulated Embankments | Poorly designed flood-control structures worsen erosion downstream |
Impacts of Erosion: More Permanent Than Floods
A. Social Displacement
- Creates landless communities, especially among marginal farmers
- Riverine (char-chapori) populations face repeated relocation
- School dropouts, early marriage, and health insecurity follow loss of homes
B. Economic Devastation
- Destroys agricultural land, livestock assets, and incomes
- Pushes affected populations into urban slums and informal jobs
C. Environmental Stress
- Loss of riparian biodiversity
- Alters aquifer recharge zones and natural floodplains
D. Governance Challenges
- Erosion not recognised as a disaster under Disaster Management Act, 2005
- Lack of clear data on displaced persons = poor compensation & rehab
Government Interventions
| Initiative | Details |
| Brahmaputra Board Projects | Dyke construction, spurs, embankments, channel training works |
| Matmora Geo-tube Embankment | Assam’s first scientific erosion-control structure using geo-bags |
| ISRO Mapping | Satellite-based erosion hotspot identification with NESAC |
| Char Area Development Scheme | Supports socio-economic upliftment of erosion-prone river islands |
| Assam SDRF Support | Provides temporary relief in erosion-hit areas (not long-term rehabilitation) |
Way Forward: Long-Term Mitigation Strategy
✅ Policy-Level
- Declare riverbank erosion as a notified disaster under NDMA
- Include erosion-affected in disaster relief and compensation norms
✅ Engineering Solutions
- Promote bioengineering (vetiver, bamboo reinforcement)
- Upgrade embankments using geo-textile and modern hydrology
✅ Livelihood & Rehabilitation
- Create land banks and land-for-land rehabilitation programs
- Offer livelihood support, insurance, and skilling in alternative trades
✅ Governance Reform
- Setup a State Erosion Commission with legal powers
- Digitize and update village erosion risk maps for early planning
- Ensure community-led monitoring of erosion-prone zones
Conclusion
Erosion in Assam is not a seasonal crisis—it is a slow-moving humanitarian emergency. Ignoring it erodes not just land, but the lives and dignity of the most vulnerable. A scientific, humane, and decentralized strategy rooted in resilience and justice is essential to tackle one of Assam’s most urgent and invisible disasters.
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