Statesman News Service
MALDA, Aug 21: The Ganga breached a one metre high dyke last evening and inundated several small villages at Gopalpur. At least 700 families have been affected by floodwaters from the Ganga at Gopalpur village in Manikchak block. The local panchayat had built two small dykes connecting the abandoned parts of the sixth retired embankment and existing seventh retired embankment following the local demand at Gopalpur. Floodwaters breached the first of the two dykes few weeks ago and the second one was broken through last evening.The district administration had sounded red alert in the ‘unprotected’ zone on Tuesday and had alerted the locals to shift to safer areas from the left bank of the Ganga. The executive engineer, irrigation department in Malda, Mr Soumen Misra said: “We were not given the responsibility to repair the embankment in the unprotected zone. The seventh retired embankment is now holding off Ganga floodwaters for the whole of Malda district.” Today, the district magistrate Mr CR Das asked the Malda SDO Ms Arunima De to inspect the damage so that rescue and relief operations can be undertaken accordingly. “The entire area is waterlogged. All roads in the villages are under water and the people are confined to their homes,” said the Malda SDO over phone from the spot. “Gushing water has washed away one house near the embankment and submerged a few huts,” she added. The SDO held a meeting with the block and panchayat officials to chalk out a rescue and relief work strategy.
No comments:
Post a Comment