Officials spar, people suffer

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Aug 6: The Malda irrigation division has objected against an “interference” by the Farakka Barrage Project, a Central unit, in flood control management on the bank of the Ganga. The executive engineer Mr S Misra today wrote a letter to his superior (superintending engineer) stating a particular incident and sought clarification if the government, through any order empowered the FBP to moderate the dwarf embankment constructed by the state irrigation division on the left bank of the Ganga. The copy of the letter was sent to the Malda district magistrate Mr CR Das and sabhadhipati of Malda zilla parishad Mr Goutam Chakraborty. Yesterday, the executive engineer Mr Misra had pointed out the problem to the sabhadhipati during his visit to Panchanandapur in Kaliachak II where some contractors were working on the embankment under the supervision of a group of FBP officials. “The FBP officials left the spot when our vessel arrived at Panchanandapur. The work at the site was going on without permission from our department,” Mr Misra said. “It is our job to maintain the embankment following the flood situation of the Ganga,” he added. The water level of the Ganga, meanwhile continues to rise. Today the flood control cell recorded the water level at 24.94 metres, just below the ‘extreme danger level’ at Manikchak ghaat. Floodwater from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh is flowing down the Ganga here and the FBP officials are discharging excess water to Bangladesh through the lock gates so that the water level does not cross the EDL.