Guwahati: The picturesque river island Majuli in Assam was on Thursday made the newest district by the BJP-led coalition government in the state just a week after it had been declared the largest river island in the world by Guinness World Records.
The river island located in Brahmaputra River, which is considered the cultural nerve centre of Assam, was made a new district by Assam government paying a befitting tribute to the region’s cultural icon late Dr Bhupen Hazarika on his 90th birth anniversary.
Dedicating the new district of Majuli, the cultural, spiritual and religious capital of the state, to the people of Assam, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal who represents Majuli in Assam Assembly, recalled the invaluable contribution of late Dr Bhupen Hazarika in the capacity as the chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademy to get Indian classical dance tag to Satriya dance that originates in vaishnavite monasteries of Majuli.
Sonowal who chaired the special Cabinet meeting held in Majuli this morning for the big occasion, said the river island had been upgraded to a district fulfilling the long cherished demand of the people of Majuli so that problems in the spheres of communication, infrastructure development, health, education, agriculture etc., in the flood and erosion affected landmass could be resolved expeditiously. He pledged to make an all-out effort by the state government to get UNESCO World Heritage tag for Majuli.
The state cabinet decided to convert all the river embankments in flood and erosion affected island to concrete high roads to ward off onslaught of flood every monsoon. Moreover, all the roads in Majuli have been declared state highways and will be made concrete so that surging flood waters can’t sweep them away. All the hospitals in Majuli where healthcare has been a grave problem because of want of sufficient doctors and well-equipped hospices, will be upgraded.
Regarding the perennial problem of flood and erosion, Sonowal said that a comprehensive plan had been made to go for dredging the whole Brahmaputra river course with the help of World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The water resources department was today asked to prepare a mega project for protection of Majuli River Island from erosion.
A world class cultural university to will be set up in Majuli to spread the essence of Satriya culture and preserve the Satriya culture through quality research.
The government pledged to plug the surface communication gap with Majuli by introducing three new bus services and upgrade the existing ferry service.
