AANA - Brahmaputra Flooding And Erosion

A group of engineers from the U.S. and Assam visited this currently active river bank erosion site of the Brahmaputra River near Morigaon, Assam on January 10, 2010 as part of an effort to understand the causes of flooding and erosion in the river and success or failure of currently adopted control measures, and finally to develop a road map towards permanent solutions to these serious, and many times deadly, problems. The group is seen in the photograph below: Dr. Deva Borah and Dr. Chandan Mahanta (Front row L & R), Dr. Arvind Phukan, Mr. Rajib Goswami, and his colleague (Back row L-R).
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The field trip was initiated by Dr. Phukan, Consultant and retired Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, and arranged by Dr. Mahanta, Professor of Civil Engineering and Head of the Center for the Environment, IIT-Guwahati, and Mr. Goswami from the Water Resources Department of Assam. Similar heartbreaking erosion sites are common along the Brahmaputra River: The Island of Majuli, Kaziranga National Forest, and the Town of Polashbari are among the notables.

The engineers group participated in a two-hour workshop, “Seeking Solution to the Flood and Erosion Problem of the Brahmaputra,” on January 11, 2010 at the Pragjyoti ITA Center for Performing Arts, Guwahati, as part of the North East India International Meet – 2010 of the Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters.

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The presentations and follow up discussions included: 1. Erosion Problem and Restoration Measures in the Brahmaputra River: Dr. Arvind Phukan 2. Application of Watershed Modeling in Solving Flooding and Erosion Problems: Dr. Deva Borah3. Need of New Policy Initiative for Water Resource Development in the Brahmaputra: Dr. Chandan Mahanta
4. The Brahmaputra River System – Its Problems, Challenges and Potential: Dr. Gauri HandiqueThe field trip and workshop were the result of a landmark (first time in history) collaboration of the U.S. and Assam engineers, who wrote the following two papers and presented at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Environment and Water Resources Institute’s (EWRI) International Conference, January 5-7, 2010, Chennai, India:
1. River Bank Erosion and Restoration in the Brahmaputra River in India: Arvind Phukan, Rajib Goswami, Deva Borah, Ananta Nath, and Chandan Mahanta
2. Water Resources in the Brahmaputra Basin: Renewed Policy Initiative for Effective Development and Management: Chandan Mahanta, Lalit Saikia, Rutni Choudhury, Rajib Goswami, Ananta Nath, Deva Borah, and Arvind Phukan Dr. Phukan and Dr. Mahanta, respectively, presented the papers, participated in discussions with international attendees of the conference, and exchanged useful ideas. The group considers this a remarkable beginning of understanding the underlying causes of the flooding and erosion problems and searching for the appropriate and effective solutions. Prior to these events, Dr. Borah, a Senior Project Manager of Woolpert, Inc., Portsmouth, Virginia visited Dr. Mahanta at IIT-Guwahati on December 31, 2009, made a presentation, and participated in a discussion with a group of IIT Professors and students on use of watershed models in solving flooding and erosion problems. Dr. Borah also demonstrated his DWSM: Dynamic Watershed Simulation Model to the faculty and students for potential applications on watersheds of the Brahmaputra Basin.
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