Early monsoon may hit project

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 25 MAY: The engineers of the irrigation department in Malda fear that early monsoon may hamper the ongoing anti-erosion project on the bank of the Mahananda along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

“We have targeted to finish the basic foundation of anti-erosion work along the border by June but the early monsoon may hamper the work, in which case the project will be resumed in November and completed by January 2010,” said the executive engineer, Mr S Misra, irrigation department, Malda.

The Centre had sanctioned the project following the nod of the Central Water Commission. A total of Rs 33 crore has been allotted to the project to save Indian land from erosion by erecting fencing on the bank of the river Mahananda in the Old Malda and Habibpur area.

The project covers nearly 6 km along the border.

Meanwhile, the circuit embankment at Kasharpur in Bhutni Diara under Manikchak block is under threat due to severe erosion.

Last year, the department had proposed building a retired embankment (a second defence line) for further flood protection.

However, the irrigation department had suffered obstruction, as the Model Code of Conduct imposed by the recent Lok Sabha elections prevented the construction of the retired embankment.

“If the existing circuit embankment at Kasharpur breaches this year we will construct a temporary guard wall (dwarf embankment) on an emergency basis to prevent flood waters from entering into villages,” said Mr Misra.