Erosion spoted at Bhutni Diara Island

Statesman News Service

MALDA, June 6:- After conducting thorough survey, the engineers of Malda irrigation department have identified two vulnerable spots for massive erosion at Bhutni Diara Island ~ located at the middle of the Ganges in Manikchak block. According to the irrigation department, the areas at Nanditola and at the confluence point of Ganges and Kosi are more vulnerable and huge lands will be eroded away during monsoons. Though residents have been demanding ‘permanent’ anti-erosion work to save their fertile lands but the state irrigation officials are helpless adopt any permanent nature of work to stem erosion there. It may be noted that in last few years more lands were destructed due to erosion in Bhutni Diara and hundreds of people were rendered homeless. “The experts of GFCC (Ganga Flood Control Commission) and CWC (Central Water Commission) have asked the state irrigation and waterways officials not take up any permanent nature of anti erosion work there. So, we are in no position to take up any permanent anti erosion work in Bhutni Diara, an island, created by the Ganges many decades ago”, said Mr Soumen Misra , the executive engineer, irrigation department in Malda. “We have planned to take up ‘palliative’ measure when severe erosion will start there just to arrest erosion and to reduce the rate of destruction of land", Mr Misra said. The irrigation department has already informed about their decision to the district administrative officials recently. According to Mr Misra , the experts of GFCC and CWC think that Bhutni Diara island is an obstruction of the Ganges here and it has been aggravating erosion problem on the left bank of the Ganges in Manikchak, English Bazaar, Kaliachak II block areas. Nearly one lakh people live in Bhutni Diara Island, comprising three gram panchayats, located at the confluence point of Ganges, Fulahar and Kosi.