India got its first river island district when Assam’s Majuli was upgraded from a sub-division to the state’s 35th district. Majuli is also the world’s largest sweet water island. The decision to elevate Majuli to a full-fledged district was taken in June. The island, perched on the confluence of Brahmaputra and Subansiri rivers, was declared the world’s largest river island by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The announcement of awarding Majuli district status also coincides with the 90th birth anniversary of doyen of Assamese music Bhupen Hazarika.
Did You Know?
- Majuli is the centre of Assam’s neo-Vaishnavite religion and culture and the satras are the Vaishnavite monasteries.
- The floods and erosion have hit the island hard over the past many decades, shrinking its size from 1246 sq km in 1853 to 650 sq km now.
- Housing a population of over 1.5 lakh, Majuli faces flood and erosion every year. The island has already lost 60 per cent of its landmass to erosion since 1950.
- The island is mostly accessible through boats and remains cut off from the rest of the state during floods, causing great miseries to its residents.
Assam
- Capital – Dispur
- Chief Minister – Sarbananda Sonowal
- Governor – Banwarilal Purohit
- Assam is known for Assam tea and Assam silk. The first oil well in Asia was drilled here.
- The state has conserved the one-horned Indian rhinoceros from near extinction, along with the wild water buffalo, pygmy hog, tiger and various species of Asiatic birds.
- It provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant.
