World Population Day: A Critical Reflection on Assam’s Char Areas and the Crisis of Unchecked Population Growth
Heramba Nath
World Population Day, observed every year on July 11, serves as a solemn reminder of the growing challenges associated with the relentless increase in the world’s population. Established by the United Nations in 1989, this observance is more than a symbolic date — it is an urgent call to action to address the social, economic, environmental and health issues born out of unsustainable population growth. The global population, which has crossed the staggering 8 billion mark, continues to surge, particularly in developing nations where poverty, illiteracy and inadequate public healthcare systems make population management an increasingly difficult task. In India, home to one-sixth of humanity, the issue is particularly grave in specific pockets such as the char areas of Assam, where demographic pressure threatens to derail both developmental and ecological balances.
In Assam’s remote riverine sandbars and char chapori areas, the population density has reached alarming proportions. These flood-prone, geographically isolated regions of the Brahmaputra have always faced challenges relating to poverty, displacement, poor literacy levels and healthcare deficiencies. But one of the most dangerous and underreported crises brewing here is the unchecked population explosion. While the state and national governments have implemented multiple family planning initiatives like Non-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV), Tubectomy camps, intrauterine device (IUD) insertions, contraceptive distribution drives and awareness programmes, these family planning methods have not been successful in the char areas of Assam.
The reasons for this failure are multi-layered. The char areas remain socially and economically backward, with literacy levels far below the state average. Conservative attitudes towards birth control, combined with religious orthodoxy and a lack of awareness about modern reproductive healthcare, mean that large families continue to be viewed as a sign of prosperity and social security. Early marriages are rampant, and the concept of reproductive rights, particularly for women, is almost non-existent. In many households, decisions about family size are influenced by male elders, while women have little or no agency in reproductive choices.
What makes this issue even more perilous is the recurring displacement caused by the annual floods of the Brahmaputra. Thousands of families in the char areas are forced to move frequently, which disrupts healthcare services and disconnects them from government schemes. Many NSV and Tubectomy camps planned for these areas get cancelled or record minimal participation because of poor community response, cultural resistance or logistical difficulties. As a result, despite state authorities deploying health workers such as MPHW (Male), ASHAs and ANMs for extensive awareness campaigns and contraceptive distribution, the fertility rate in the char areas remains abnormally high, and family planning initiatives have consistently failed to control population growth.
This demographic imbalance poses grave consequences not just for these regions but for the entire state’s socio-political and economic equilibrium. High population growth in the char areas has already contributed to intensified competition for land, education, healthcare and government welfare benefits. Landlessness, unemployment and poverty in these overcrowded regions fuel social tensions and often lead to migratory pressure on nearby towns and urban areas of Assam. The rising demand for basic services like drinking water, sanitation, schooling and healthcare in these overpopulated sandbars can hardly be met with the existing infrastructure.
Another serious fallout of high population growth in these areas is its adverse impact on women’s health. With little awareness and access to reproductive healthcare, early pregnancies, multiple childbirths, anaemia and maternal mortality remain critical health challenges. According to the Health and Family Welfare Department of Assam, women identified as poly gravida (those who have been pregnant multiple times, especially beyond three or four pregnancies) fall under the high-risk pregnant women category.
Repeated pregnancies without adequate spacing and postnatal care severely weaken a woman’s body. Such women are at much higher risk of serious complications including anaemia, hypertension, postpartum haemorrhage, malnutrition, uterine prolapse, miscarriage and even maternal death. In the char areas, where poor healthcare infrastructure and flood-related displacement disrupt services, the condition of poly gravida women often becomes life-threatening. The cumulative effect of multiple pregnancies at a young age, poor nutrition and lack of maternal care leaves these women physically fragile and highly vulnerable to complications during childbirth.
If family planning methods are not sincerely followed, the physical condition of poly gravida pregnant women in these regions will continue to deteriorate. This not only endangers the mothers’ lives but also affects the health and survival of their newborns, increasing the rate of low birth weight, infant mortality and childhood malnutrition. Birth control measures like oral contraceptive pills, condoms and Copper-T are either unavailable in many areas or culturally resisted. Many women suffer silently, with their bodies worn out by repeated childbirths and lack of postnatal care. Family planning counselling by health workers, particularly MPHW (Male) and ASHAs, often meets hostility or neglect, while ANMs alone cannot manage this heavy burden.
Recognising this grave issue, the Assam government has commendably introduced a policy discouraging poly gravida status in families as a population control measure. According to this rule, families failing to adhere to responsible reproductive practices and exceeding permissible childbirth limits would face government warnings, followed by the application of specific restrictions under population control policy. This is a positive step, but implementation in the char areas remains a critical challenge owing to deep-rooted social conservatism and low literacy.
The political narrative around Assam’s char areas has also contributed to the neglect of population control measures. Discussions about the high birth rate in these areas are frequently entangled with ethnic and communal politics. This has prevented a scientific, humane and inclusive approach to address the population issue. Successive governments have hesitated to implement strict population control initiatives for fear of political backlash or being accused of targeting specific communities. As a result, while population growth rates in other districts have slowed in recent decades, the char areas remain an outlier with alarming demographic trends.
The failure of family planning methods in these regions is a stark reminder that mere provision of services is not enough; it requires addressing the socio-cultural roots of resistance, improving education — especially for women — and ensuring uninterrupted, accessible healthcare services even in flood-affected seasons. The government’s family planning policy must be community-specific, culturally sensitive and backed by consistent outreach efforts. Employing local influencers, religious leaders and community elders in awareness campaigns can help break traditional taboos and promote acceptance of contraceptive measures. NGOs can play a valuable complementary role by organising awareness meetings, health camps and reproductive health education drives. Their support can enhance government efforts by reaching out to marginalised sections with tailored interventions.
It must also be noted that unless strong awareness meetings, consistent health education and family counselling are held in these areas, the situation will continue to worsen. Health workers should be directed to conduct regular high-risk pregnancy identification drives as per Assam government’s health and family welfare protocols, especially targeting uneducated and economically backward families. Every eligible couple should be registered, counselled and provided with necessary contraceptives and reproductive health guidance.
World Population Day should be an occasion for policymakers and public health experts in Assam to candidly evaluate why their family welfare initiatives have failed in the char areas. It is imperative to reimagine a comprehensive, targeted reproductive healthcare strategy that accounts for the unique challenges of riverine communities. Mobile health units, floating clinics, women-centric education drives and incentives for small families could make a significant difference if implemented sincerely.
Unless urgent interventions are made, the consequences of unchecked population growth in Assam’s char areas will be catastrophic. Not only will it strain the already fragile social and economic fabric of these regions, but it will also have state-wide implications in terms of resource scarcity, public health crises, ecological degradation and ethnic tensions. Demographic pressure in these vulnerable areas is a ticking time bomb that threatens Assam’s demographic stability, communal harmony and sustainable development.
On this World Population Day, Assam’s policymakers must confront this uncomfortable reality. Beyond slogans and token observance, this is the moment to undertake bold, decisive and empathetic action. It is not merely a population problem; it is a health, education, environment, human rights and governance issue intertwined with the future of Assam itself. The population challenge in the char areas is the most sensitive and dangerous dimension of the state’s demographic scenario, and the failure of family planning methods in these areas demands urgent, sincere and culturally sensitive reforms.
World Population Day should not pass as a mere date in the calendar but as a loud alarm bell, reminding both state authorities and civil society about the urgent need to stabilise population growth, especially in the most vulnerable, overlooked and disadvantaged pockets like the char areas. It is time to act decisively, sensitively and scientifically to preserve the demographic balance, social cohesion and environmental sustainability of Assam.