Flood alert in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, July 21: The Malda administration today warned the local residents living on the bank of the Ganga in four blocks to shift in safer areas as the water levels rose last night.“The Ganga is flowing 5 cm above the extreme danger level (EDL-25.29 metres) in mid day today”, said Mr. Soumen Misra , the executive engineer , Malda irrigation department this morning.The Malda district magistrate Mr C R Das held an emergent meeting with all BDOs regarding flood management and to take stock of the situation. The Malda DM has asked all BDOs to report regarding positioning of flood shelters identified earlier.The administration has identified four vulnerable places on the bank of the Ganga and the river Fulohar where the embankments are weak. Last late night a large part of land eroded away by the flood waters of Fulohar at Bhaluka in Harishchandrapur threatening the present embankment.According to the irrigation department, the safe distance between the bank line and the bundh was now only 7 metres and at any moment it could be wiped out. The district magistrate alerted the irrigation officials requesting them to start an emergency work so that the flood waters can not inundate Bhaluka Bazaar area. A large part of unprotected areas have already inundated rendering many people homeless on the bank of Fulohar and Ganges in six blocks of this district. Irrigation and FBP are at war foot to save embankments which are under threat at Shimultal in Kaliachak III, at Panchanandapur in Kaliachak II, at Domhaat, Nanditala and Keshabtola in Manikchak and at Bhaluka in Harishchandrapur.The Manikchak BDO today reported the administration that a total of 146 families were rendered homeless at Domhaat areas due to severe erosion this monsoon. The executive engineer of Malda irrigation department Mr. Misra predicted that the water level would continue to rise till tomorrow.According to him, water level of the Ganga in the upper catchments is steady and in some places it has started receding and also there was no fresh rainfall in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh since yesterday. Several families have been inundated at Balutola in Kaliachak II due to water logging following continuous rains. The sluice gate set up in dwarf embankment was shut down to prevent flood waters from the Ganga. As a result rain waters at Balutola have no way to drain out to Ganga at present, irrigation official said.