Correspondent
PASIGHAT, 10 Dec: Alleging that there has been a change in Google Map showing parts of East Siang and Dhemaji (Assam) districts, the boundary dwellers of Kemi-Oiramghat area in Dhemaji have demanded that the authority take appropriate action to rectify the change.
The boundary dwellers are afraid that there has been an “illegal change” in the interstate boundary on Google Map after the boundary committee visited the disputed Assam-Arunachal boundary and held a series of meetings there.
Senior citizens of Kemi village said they noticed that the virtual line showing the Assam-Arunachal boundary on Google Map has been “changed and diverted towards the Assam side, thereby encroaching about 200-300 metres distance near the Ruksin gate, which is continuing the encroachment towards the east in Abor-Leku, Oyan-Jelom Kemi, and Oiramghat villages, and lower Jampani.”
A group of villagers of Kemi, led by senior citizen Madhov Pao, submitted a petition to the Dhemaji deputy commissioner, demanding that steps be taken to rectify the virtual boundary map showing the interstate boundary.
The villagers stated in the petition that “Kemi-Oirghat area is an integral part of Assam and the inhabitants of the area have been exercising uninterrupted socio-political rights in Assam since the emergence of the two states.”
“The recent illegal and sudden change in the interstate boundary has gravely disturbed the peace of the people living in Kemi, Oiramghat, Oyan-Jelom and Leku villages, while they are living in fear of facing law and order situation in near future,” the petition read.
The boundary dwellers have demanded that the authority look into the matter and take steps to restore the earlier boundary line between the two states.
When asked about it, Ruksin ADC T Jonnom said that the East Siang district administration has no control over Google mapping.
“The process for amicable settlement of the boundary problem with support from both state governments has been going on. The virtual line or imaginary line on Google Map is not the base for settlement of disputed boundary,” he said, and urged the boundary dwellers not to be frightened by such issues.
