Dear Deka, Below is an excerpt from a journal article by Debojyoti Das of Birkbeck College, University of London. It does not answer your question directly. But it may be helpful. It may shed some doubt on whether “engineers can come up with a solution.” There is a debate among experts.
Hope all is well, Sanjib Baruah “Majuli is surrounded by a complex geological structure of sedimentary formation and tertiary sandstone in the Upper Brahmaputra Valley in northeastern part of India. The landscape is characterized in geo-tectonic discourse as vulnerable and particularly susceptible to the tectonic hazards posed by plate movements and the hydraulic ebb and flow of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries …… Geologists and hydrologist working for the Brahmaputra Board argued that the lift of the riverbed following the Assam earthquake triggered more destructive floods. Before that period, water flow maintained a relative equilibrium with the natural flow in the tributaries of the Brahmaputra. However, as embankments were built to protect key settlements all along the southern side of the Brahmaputra valley, the flow of the river was squeezed with linear embankment structures that became vulnerable to breaches from hydraulic pressure and peak discharge during monsoons…. Structural measures meant to tame the Brahmaputra have had more catastrophic ecological effects than the physical rise of the riverbed resulting from the 1950 earthquake.” ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dilip Deka" <[email protected]> To: "A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 11:54:07 AM Subject: Re: [Assam] Looking for right information How much do we know about the geological formation of Majuli? Has there been a geotechnical study of the island done by taking deep core samples? If there is rock underneath, there is some hope to salvage the island. Engineers can come up with a solution. Any comment from geotechnical engineers in Assamnet? Dilip Deka Houston, Texas Sent from my iPad > On Dec 28, 2015, at 9:06 AM, Anna <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear All > Thanks for all these discussions on Majuli and erosions. The real question > is whether this is due to man made causes or is part of the natural process? > If natural, then we should leave it at that. All over the world natural > changes are happening - creating new islands from volcanic activities as well > as submerging existing islands with floods, icebergs etc. If completely due > to our own foolishness then of course there should be concern. By the way, > native people all over the world such as aborigines in Australia, various > tribes in Amazon have always lived in harmony with nature without harming it. > So it is possible to live and let live but none of us in this list is > equipped to do so as well as these native folks did and are continuing to do. > I am not sure where do current Majuli inhabitants fall - native or with the > rest of us? My two cents only. > > Wishing you all a very happy 2016! > Aradhana Baruah Satin > NJ, USA > (Originally from Jorhat - across the river from Majuli) > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Dec 28, 2015, at 9:19 AM, kamal deka <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> True, Isla de Marajo, in the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil, is the >> real holder of that title. But if Marajo is bigger than Majuli, Majuli >> is certainly home to far more people: more than 150,000 of them, on >> something like 500 sq km. And they face a unique and grave problem: >> the island is being steadily eroded by the Brahmaputra. Just since >> 1991, half of Majuli has been washed away. This is the problem where >> everyone should try to put the spotlight on. >> >>> On Mon, Dec 28, 2015 at 5:49 AM, Sanjib Baruah <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> A recent news report in the Telegraph said Majuli was 1,244 square km in >>> 1950, and is now 650 square km. >>> >>> http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151223/jsp/northeast/story_59886.jsp#.VoEftVLBTPM >>> >>> I suspect what complicates measurements a bit is that Majuli is not a >>> single land mass. It has a mainland – where the most of the places we >>> associate with Majuli, the Xatras, government departments etc are -- and a >>> large number of chars and chaporis. Officially the island has 34 chaporis. >>> Some these chaporis are connected to the mainland during the dry months , >>> but others are permanently separated. >>> >>> Sanjib Baruah >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Wahid Saleh - Indiawijzer" <[email protected]> >>> To: [email protected] >>> Cc: "Assamnet" <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 5:33:48 AM >>> Subject: [Assam] Looking for right information >>> >>> As an Assamese we proudly say that Majuli is the biggest river-island in >>> the world. It might have been once upon a time. But due to different reason >>> every year we are offering a part of Majuli to Brahmaputra. I have come >>> across information on the internet announcing that Majuli is no longer the >>> largest river-island in the world. >>> >>> >>> >>> 1. According to World Island Information Majuli is the 7th largest >>> river-island in the world >>> >>> http://www.worldislandinfo.com/MISINFORMATION.htm >>> >>> >>> >>> 2. Wikipedia mentions that Marajó island of Brasil is the largest >>> river-island of the world. >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maraj%C3%B3> >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maraj%C3%B3 >>> >>> Marajó is an island located at the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. It >>> is part of the state of Pará. Marajó is the largest fluvial island in the >>> world, and the second largest island in South America. With a land area of >>> 40,100 square kilometres (15,500 sq mi) Marajó is comparable in size to >>> Switzerland. It is approximately 295 kilometres (183 mi) long and 200 >>> kilometres (120 mi) wide >>> >>> This is also mentioned by Britannica. >>> <http://www.britannica.com/place/Marajo-Island> >>> http://www.britannica.com/place/Marajo-Island >>> >>> >>> >>> Greetings, >>> >>> Wahid >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> assam mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> assam mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> assam mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
