Socio-Economic Impact of Riverbank Erosion –A Study of Riverine Dwellers along the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River, West Bengal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62656/Keywords:
Riverbank Erosion, Riverine Dwellers, Socio-economic issues, Prevention MethodsAbstract
Riverbank erosion is a pressing issue for riverine dwellers, as well as for our society by extension. This type of erosion adversely affects the livelihood of the riverine dwellers, such as loss of land, property, and financial stability. Many cases end up with people being displaced from their homes. Many such cases have been observed along the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River, which falls under the jurisdiction of Nadia and partly of Burdwan District (Both districts are part of the Indian state of West Bengal). Hence, this area is chosen as the study area for the current work. This area includes eight administrative blocks of Nadia and two of Burdwan District. Primary data collected from riverine dwellers were analyzed to examine their socio-economic problems. It is found that most dwellers suffer from loss of land due to river erosion. In the current work, we discussed recommended steps that can be taken to control the erosion that affects the population. The role of the government and the awareness of riverine dwellers are also pondered upon in the current work.
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