Locals apprehend Fulohar rise

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 28 JULY: Erosion started along the bank line of the Fulohar last night due to the sudden rise of, and fluctuation in, the water level.

Though the engineers have taken palliative measures to arrest erosion at the vulnerable spot at Bhaluka Bazaar in Harishchnadrapur II block, villagers are apprehensive that the part of the embankment designed for flood protection has been damaged, and will not last when the water level crosses its danger level.

The water level of the Fulohar was recorded this morning at 25.3 m, according to the irrigation department. The water levels of all three rivers the, Ganga, Fulohar and Mahananda, are rising.

Local people today expressed unhappiness over the ongoing work at the Bhaluka Bazaar.

“The present work may not be able to check severe erosion. The department has done nothing over the past three years to save the embankment, despite several reminders”, said Harishchandrapur MLA, Mr Tajmul Hossain.

The superintending engineer of north circle, Mr ML Mitra, assured the minister for environment, Mr. Sailen Sarkar, MLA from Ratua, that the department would be able to save the embankment at Bhaluka Bazaar when Mr Sarkar convened a meeting yesterday.

But a section of engineers who were working the spot are not sure about the fate of the embankment during a high flood situation when the river will touch 28 m.

They are also apprehending that mid August the situation of the vulnerable spot will turn critical and it could be breached.

Mr Gopal Mahalder, a local fisherman, said: “the water level of the river was rising rapidly and whirling waters were eroding its bank in many parts”.

Ignoring the apprehensions of the local people, the executive engineer of the Mahananda Embankment division, Mr BN Das said that “we hope that we will be able to save the embankment at Bhaluka Bazzar if the river does not behave abnormally due to natural calamity”.