Malda faces erosion threat

Statesman News Service

MALDA, June 8: A senior member of the Central Water Commission, Mr SK Das, has allegedly expressed his dissatisfaction over the anti-erosion work being carried out by the Farakka Barage Project at Panchanandapur in Malda, an irrigation official said today. It was learnt that Mr Das visited the site of the anti-erosion work with FBP officials a few days back to inspect the 1.5 km long stretch along the left bank of the Ganges, identified as vulnerable. Expressing his dissatisfaction Mr Das said it was insufficient to stem erosion in case of a major flood in June. He further said that completion of the anti-erosion work would not be possible within 15 June, the official said. Local experts said that early monsoons might act as a hindrance to the timely completion of the anti-erosion project this year. A senior official of the state irrigation department said: “FBP authorities were instructed to construct the “apron” of the boulder-pitching work up to a height of 60 metres but have constructed it only up 20 metres to finish the work before flood.” The inadequate anti-erosion work is worrying the villagers too. “Kakribandha Jhobona”, the biggest gram panchayat of Kaliachak II block got completely eroded away in 1999 due to a severe erosion of the Ganges. A senior engineer of the state irrigation department said: “Due to erosion on the left bank of the Ganges new patches of land are coming up on the western side. But vast stretches of land at Panchanandapur, Bangitola and other gram panchayats in Kaliachak II block may be gobbled up due to severe erosion in the region.” The official pointing out the present configuration on the left bank of the Ganges said that the five-kilometre stretch from Khaskol at English Bazaar to Panchanandapur at Kaliachak II has been eroded away into a sharp concave shape. The stretch was identified as vulnerable by the Central apex body few years back. A FBP report pointed out that the water-flow concentration coupled with high velocity and high discharge rate along the left bank was the chief cause of erosion and formation of a big shoal on the right side of the Ganges. The state and Central engineers stated that the shoal has obstructed water movement of the Ganges here. The river thus carved out its own way by eroding away crop lands, schools and markets on the left bank year after year. As per official report of the Malda irrigation department, the ever-increasing width of the 17-km long shoal is two kilometres. This establishes that the Ganges has shifted two kilometres from right to the left on the eastern side. Interestingly, the average width of the Ganges is 2.5 km as per the Farakka Barrage. But the width of the Ganges in this zone is more than 10 kilometres comprising a number of shoals in the mid-Ganges. Villagers said that the recent erosion of the Ganges at Chetrutola on the left bank in Panchanandapur was due to a “wave dash”. They believe it is a signal for severe erosion in this zone this year.