Engineered Anti-erosion Works Along the Right Bank of Jiabharali River in Assam

Erosion and flood are the two major problems of lower plain reach of Jiabharali River and hence become a matter of concern due to its devastating impact on life and property. The River Jiabharali carries substantial quantity of silt along with discharge of 4429.73 cumec. Due to deposition of sediments, the sand chars forms in the river bed at random, creating spill channels making bank erosion more vulnerable. River also has a natural gradient to shift its courses towards the western side and there is formation of offshoot channels after each flood, thereby widening its waterway and making the problem more intense. This paper describes the case study where Geosynthetics materials and Gabions are used in erosion control and flood protection measures at two different reaches (Dikoraijan and Kurukani) along the Jiabharali River by construction of bank revetment with launching apron and raising and strengthening of embankment at places which are prone to floods. The project is located in the Sonitpur District of Assam from Ch: 9490 m (Dikoraijan) to 14,397 m (Kurukani). The laboratory investigations undertaken for Geosynthetics materials and Gabions for the above project are presented in this paper along with advantages of using Geosynthetics materials.