Jorhat: A documentary produced by a Franco-German TV channel focuses on environmental issues facing Majuli in Assam, northeastern India, that was once known as the world’s largest river island.
The film “Shrinking Island” made originally in French will soon be dubbed in English to help it reach wider audience, says Anil G, who helped in the production of the documentary. The doctoral scholar from southern India has been working in Majuli for the past two years on sustainable and responsible tourism.
He told telegraphindia.com that he plans to show the raw footage of the film to the islanders to instill in them a sense of responsibility to do something to stop erosion.
The TV channel ARTE TV has already given him the footage of the documentary.
In the documentary the islanders speak Mising, a tribal language; while those connected to the island — officials of the Brahmaputra Board, district administration and Jadav Payeng, a noted conservationist, use Assamese, the language of Assam.
The research scholar was the coordinator who had taken Payeng to the Climate Change Summit in Paris. He also coordinated with the producers of the channel for making of the documentary.
“This documentary was made in French to highlight the impact of climate change during the Climate Change Conference 2015. This video was broadcast in France and Germany by ARTE TV two days before the conference began,” Anil said.
He said the producers agreed to share the native version of the film after repeated requests for creating an impact in the local area and sharing with local administration.
Anil said deforestations in the island as well as in the Himalayan foothills in Arunachal Pradesh have led to heavy erosion and siltation of the Brahmaputra.
“This has resulted in the river getting shallower, flooding and eroding the island which falls in its path,” he said.
He says the documentary shows usefulness of technology like sand bags, geo-bags and porcupines which could divert the flow of the river.
Payeng used afforestation to stop erosion and contributed to the ecology of the region and protection of flora and fauna, Anil said.
The scholar plans to plant with the help of the islanders at least 2,000 saplings during March 1 to June 1. “I am also identifying a kind of grass which grows abundantly on the river island.”
Anil said: “It should be such that hundreds of geo-bags should be available in shops in the island so that the residents can take up erosion protection without the aid of the administration or the Brahmaputra Board.”
“Waiting for the administration to move after preparing a detailed project report, sanctioning and then releasing the amount take months or even a couple of years. The residents should be able to buy the bags and place those themselves whenever erosion takes part in their part of the island,” Anil said.
Mājuli in the Brahmaputra River once had a total area of 1,250 square kilometers. As the river surrounding it grew, the island shrank to one of its size. Now it is only 421.65 square kilometers.
The island is formed by the Brahmaputra river in the south and its branch Kherkutia Xuti, and Subansiri River in the north. Mājuli island is accessible by ferries from Jorhat, a city in Assam. The island is about 200 km east from Guwahati, Assam’s commercial capital. It was formed due to course changes by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries, mainly the Lohit. Mājuli is the abode of the Assamese neo-Vaisnavite culture.
Originally, the island was a long, narrow piece of land called Majoli (land in the middle of two parallel rivers) that had the Brahmaputra flowing in the north and the Burhidihing flowing in the south, till they met at Lakhu.
Frequent earthquakes during 1661–1696 set the stage for a catastrophic flood in 1750 that continued for 15 days, which is mentioned in historical texts and reflected in folklore. The flood split the Brahmaputra into two branches — one flowing along the original channel and the other flowing along the Burhidihing channel to form Mājuli island.
Mājuli has been the cultural capital of Assamese civilization since the 16th century. Sankardeva, a pioneer of the medieval-age neo-Vaishnavite movement, preached a monotheist form of Hinduism called Vaishnavism and established monasteries and hermitages known as satra on the islet.
The island soon became the leading center of Vaishavinism with the establishment of these satras. After the arrival of the British, Majuli was under the rule of the British until India gained independence in 1947. It is one of world’s biggest river islands.