[ Prafulla Kaman ]
SIGAR, 21 Mar: After several families were forced to leave following massive river erosion in the last two years, local MLA Lombo Tayeng has assured the erosion-affected villagers of Sigar in East Siang district that he will move the state government, seeking financial grants for infrastructure development in the village.
As many as 47 families out of the total 70 have been displaced due to massive river erosion in the village. The affected families have been relocated to a nearby place. The Siang river also washed away the building and the playground of the lower primary school (LPS) here, besides the anganwadi centre, the community hall, orchards, and several acres of fertile land.
Addressing a public meeting organised by the villagers here on Tuesday, Tayeng said that he “can feel the anguish being felt by the affected people.” He informed the villagers that Rs 50 lakhs each have been granted to the Pasighat PWD division and the Pasighat RWD division for road and other infrastructure development in Sigar village.
“The state government has submitted a proposal for an erosion protection project with an estimated cost of Rs 228 crore to the union jal shakti ministry for protection of erosion on the left bank of the Siang river in Mebo subdivision, covering 28 kms,” Tayeng said.
“The hydrological analysis with a compact mathematical model of the anti-erosion project has already been approved by the state’s technical advisory committee and forwarded to the central government for approval and sanction,” he said.
Responding to a memorandum submitted by the villagers, Tayeng assured to provide fund for construction of a community hall, a link road from Sigar to the WRC fields (rikmeng), and development of the community burial ground (golung).
The MLA and East Siang DC Tayi Taggu felicitated those who have donated land for the school building with playground, the community hall, and the burial ground.
Earlier, Tayeng laid the foundation stone for the proposed new LPS building here.
The Pasighat RWD division has been entrusted with the task of carrying out the construction works.
The MLA and the DC also inaugurated a new power (LT line) transformer and the newly built Donyi Polo kumko (gangging) in Sigar village.
Taggu urged the villagers to “take care of the school and other public properties.” He also appealed to the land donors to “cooperate with the authority for smooth execution of the developmental projects.”
The GB and village elders appealed to the MLA, the DC and elected leaders to take up on priority the problems faced by the villagers of Sigar.
