SILAPATHAR, Oct 17 – For the mega projects of Dhemaji and North Lakhimpur districts, boulders are being collected from the river beds of Likabali, Siji, Garo, Padi and Ego in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh for construction works. The people of West Siang feel that largescale collection of boulders from hilly areas is responsible for the devastation in the lower reaches of the river beds. The public expressed this before a joint team of Dhemaji district administration and journalists which visited West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh for geographical study of the Gai river. The local people told the joint team that the commuters of Arunachal Pradesh have to face untold miseries with regard to surface communication, when they enter the road at Jiadhal and Sissiborgaon on NH-52. The breached sections of NH-52 at Samarjan by Jiadhal river and at Sissiborgaon Takowbari by Gai river have been giving trouble to the passengers. The passengers of Arunachal Pradesh have to face a lot of inconvenience. The public also face shortage of essential food items and commodities. These road portions, along the NH-52 are the only way for communication to Itanagar (capital of Arunachal Pradesh) and Guwahati for the people of West Siang and East Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Moreover, boulder mining has raised the bed level of Gai river in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh and the river bed at the lower reaches. The boulder mining has widened the river bed of Assam, which has led to large-scale erosion and flood in the lower reaches. The deforestation in the hilly terrains of Arunachal Pradesh for Jhum cultivation and other works has also created road blockade and deposition of matter in the hilly area. So the Government of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and general public have to take suitable measures to solve the problems. Lindum Taipodia, a local resident of Siji in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh told the joint team about the devastation caused by the floods of Gai river on August 15. He pointed out that the rain-waters from the hills flooded the Siji Nola river (Gai river known as Siji Nola at Siji). It caused large-scale damage in Sissiborgaon area and NH-52 on the same day. He also said that he had never seen such extent of matter in Siji area earlier. Around 56 families live in Siji Basti. The joint team also decided to appeal to the head of the Dhemaji district administration to set up an emergency flood alert centre for flood information at Ego under West Siang district. The distance of Ego is around 45-50 km from Likabali.