Irrigation dept to visit flood ravaged areas

Statesman news Service

MALDA, Aug 25: Top officials of irrigation and waterways department will visit Ganga to take stock of the situation of flood control and erosion on Wednesday and hold a meeting with the district administrative officials after the visit to discuss the necessary measures. The minister for irrigation and waterways department Mr. Subhas Naskar, the chief engineer II, Mr. Mihir Samanta and departmental secretary Mr. Tapan Kumar Mitra will visit the left bank of the Ganga from Sultantola near Panchanandapur in Kaliachak II to Bhutni Diara, an island in the Ganga, in Manikchak on Wednesday morning. The top officials arrived in Malda today and left for Raiganj in North Dinajpur to hold a meeting with the district administrative officials regarding flood preventive measures and erosion control of several rivers along the India Bangladesh border. The officials will also hold a meeting with the South Dinajpur district officials including the district magistrate and departmental officials on Tuesday for the same agenda. On Tuesday evening they will return to Malda. In Malda district, flood situation improved when the water level of the Ganga and Fulohar started receding from 22 August. But due to fluctuation of the water level of the Ganga, there has been erosion in different areas along its left bank. Today, a large part of croplands at Sultantola in Kaliachak II, stretching 200 metres, was eroded away when the water level started receding. According to the local irrigation officials, velocity of water was very high at Sultantola where middle channel is connected with the left channel towards Farakka. Local sources said some anti-erosion work, which had begun there, was damaged. Irrigation officials fear fresh erosion at Kesharpur in Bhutni Diara and Domhaat area in Manikchak block area due to fluctuation of water level. The department had started anti erosion work at Kesharpur to save a circuit embankment there. The water from the inundated areas in three blocks, where nearly 50,000 people were affected, have started receding but flood victims are anticipating fresh floods in September. According to the irrigation officials, the water level of the Ganga and Fulohar will continue to rise in the first week of September, the last spell of flood in this year.