A confluence of concern

Will Ganga merge with Pagla obliterating all obstructions in its path, including the township of Malda in eastern India ?

By Manas R Bannerjee

‘Ganga wants to meet her brother Pagla now. Bhagirathi Kalindri and others rivers are her sisters’, wrote noted writer Sunil Gangopadhyay on a visit to Malda a few years back. Perhaps it was his literary skill more than anything else that convinced them, but a great majority of Malda residents (including river experts) believe that this is just what is happening. Ganga is indeed trying to merge with river Pagla thus changing its course from Pachanandapur in Kaliahchak II. As such an event would result in large scale destruction people of the region are now living in dread.Local river management engineers, support Sunil Gangopadhyay’s view of a deep relationship between Pagla and Ganga since Pagla is after all a tributary originating from Ganga but they don’t think it is possible for Ganga to change her course from Pachanandapur. “Ganga would never change its course bifurcating the Farakka Barrage from this point. There is no such chance because of the difference in the level of the two-river beds. The riverbed of Pagla is nearly 10 metres higher than that of Ganga. It is true that some of Ganga’s excess water may have flowed through Pagla as that was its natural course. But the natural course has had to change due to the preventive spurs and embankments for flood and erosion protection,” said Pundarikashaya Roy, executive engineer, Malda irrigation division. It is true that once there existed a direct link between Ganga, Bhagirathi, Kalindri and Pagla. But thanks to the present technology of flood management there remains no connection between the three. As such these tributaries have been transformed into little more than silted channels which (all the more dangerously) can no longer carry large volumes of water. The construction of small barrages following the construction of the Farakka Barrage snapped the natural ‘relation’. After setting up the FBP, authorities had constructed an afflux embankment (25 km long) from the FBP to the Malda town station with just two sluice gates on the river Bhagirathi and Pagla. Now Kalindri can no longer carry Ganga water to Mahananda and Bhagirathi and Pagla no longer carry water beyond the border into Padma. These rivers now receive rain water from local areas but cannot be replenished by Ganga even when the water level is low. Members of a local NGO called Ganga Bhagan Nagarik Action Committee are now trying to draw government attention to the subject of Ganga’s natural course. They are calling for the opening of all obstructing constructions between the three rivers. Another Kolkata-based NGO with support from foreign NGOs are busy trying to convince local people to follow the latest measures adopted in China and other places to check erosion on the left bank of the river. But local engineers do not believe that flattening obstructions can be the solution. One cannot they say check erosion just by an annual removal of obstructions along the three rivers. Without scientific management the district will continue to be threatened by floods because the tributaries have lost the capacity to carry greater volumes of water. The Pagla today can only carry 50,000 cusec of water, while the Ganga can carry a little more than 14 lakh cusec in monsoon. According to these engineers there may be hope “ if we permanently manage Ganga’s left bank with concretisation, there may be sluice gates for the Pagla and Bhagirathi for releasing waters. But a huge amount of money will be required. And how is it possible in this sandy zone?” People are also questioning why, if Ganga’s river bank near the FBP can be protected just by constructing a guard wall, the government not doing the same for the rest of the river bank? It is true that eroding its left bank, the Ganga has already met the Pagla and Bhagirathi. The confluence point, Mohona in Kaliahcak II, is now in Ganga’s course. But as Ganga seems to advance even farther from west to east people fear fresh spates of destruction. Though nobody can vouch that Ganga is really trying to merge with Pagla and that this will spell doom. It is clear that Ganga has already meandered into Shimultala and nearby areas, just 1.5 km upstream of the FBP lashing at the 10th marginal embankment at Kaliachak III. But then Ganga has eroded away the marginal embankment nine times in the past. Both block officials and villagers fear that Ganga is gradually turning left bifurcating the FBP to meet its tributary Pagla here. At present, after the 10th marginal embankment there is only the Afflux embankment to defend Malda from floods. “If we fail to stem Ganga at Shimultala in Kaliachak III, it would be difficult to check destruction in the township and the NH 34 here”, said Pundarikashya Roy. The engineers are working round the clock to check this process of erosion. General manager Gani is himself supervising work on the spot where the marginal embankment has eroded away in four places. But does anybody else care that Ganga has swung alarmingly close to Pagla and can easily sweep all obstructions.

Section: NB Extra of The Statesman , Date: Aug 13,2005