Question

Which is the largest inhabited riverine island in the world?

Answer 1

Hint: The largest inhabited riverine island in the world is situated in Assam, India. The Government of India in 2017, had declared a scheme to protect this island from any further erosion and flood.

Complete Step by Step Answer: Majuli is considered to be the largest inhabited riverine island in the world located on Brahmaputra river in Assam, India. It is India’s first-ever island district which consists of 144 villages with a population more than 1,50, 000. It is surrounded by the Brahmaputra river on the south, by Kherkatia Suli which is a split channel of Brahmaputra to its northeast and Subansiri River to its north. It is mostly inhabited by the Mishing tribal people and also Sonowal Kacharis and Deori tribes.
Majuli island is the epicentre of Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture with many religious and cultural institutions or ‘Sattras’. It has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The total area size was 1200 square kilometres but due to excessive erosion, it has lost around one-third of its area and got reduced to under 500 square kilometres. The scheme declared by the Government of India in 2017, has been formed by the Brahmaputra Board on the recommendations made by the high-level Expert Committee of the Central Government.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India has started a new Roll-on Roll facility or referred to as the Ro-Ro Service in collaboration with the Assamese Government to resolve the connectivity issue of the Majuli Island. There are currently four road bridges across the Brahmaputra river – Guwahati, Jogighopa, Tezpur and Sadiya which connect the northern and southern parts of Assam.

Note: India’s largest inhabited riverine island was declared as a district in Assam on June 27, 2016, by carving it out of the northern parts of Jorhat. You should also study the schemes developed by both the Government of India and the Government of Assam to resolve the issue of connectivity.