A major humanitarian and economic crisis is unfolding at the Dighaltarang Tea Estate in Doomdooma, where relentless riverbank erosion caused by the Dangari River channel—a tributary of the Brahmaputra—threatens to swallow the historic plantation. The situation has reached a critical stage, with vast stretches of the estate already lost to the river, putting the livelihoods of over 1,400 families in immediate jeopardy.
The physical scale of the destruction is alarming. To date, nearly 35.48 hectares of land have been eroded, resulting in the loss of thousands of productive tea bushes. The danger is not limited to the plantation itself; vital infrastructure, including the estate’s factory, hospital, primary school, labor quarters, and managerial bungalows, is now at imminent risk. The erosion has already engulfed the ‘Purana Line,’ where permanent housing for workers was located, and several sections of the estate are experiencing severe land loss, with key facilities now located just 300 meters from the encroaching riverbank.
Amidst the devastation, deep resentment is brewing over the perceived failure of state-funded intervention. Last year, the government initiated an embankment project covering a 200-meter stretch at a cost of Rs 4 crore. However, workers and staff have dismissed the project as grossly inadequate. Allegations of substandard construction and the misappropriation of funds by the contractor have surfaced, with the community claiming that the protective measures—geobags used along sections 7, 8, and 10—have done little to mitigate the river’s force.
The human cost of this crisis is immense. The estate supports a workforce of 1,360 laborers, alongside 114 staff and sub-staff members, impacting the future of 1,474 families. Compounding these challenges is the presence of Oil India Limited, which has acquired 19.48 hectares within the estate to operate multiple drilling points and wells. While this extraction has been ongoing since 2009, local stakeholders allege that the company has failed to contribute to erosion control measures, further exacerbating the decline in the estate’s green leaf production.
Leaders from the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) and the Assam Chah Karmachari Sangha (ACKS) have issued repeated pleas for immediate, effective intervention to stabilize the banks and safeguard the estate. Despite these appeals to public representatives and authorities, residents feel their concerns have been met with indifference. As the river continues its relentless advance, the community is urging the government to move beyond ineffective temporary solutions and launch a comprehensive rescue operation to save both their homes and their heritage.
