Locals confine official to press for anti-erosion work

MALDA, 8 JULY: Due to rising water levels in the river Fulohar, severe erosion has started at the vulnerable point of Bhaluka Bazaar in Harishchandrapur, threatening the present embankment which had already been damaged by erosion last year.

Yesterday, the locals, under the banner of the Bandh Banchao Committee, started agitations, and confined the subdivisional officer of the Mahananda Embankment division, Mr S Pal, demanding immediate anti-erosion work to save the embankment from flooding.

Locals released Mr Pal today when the engineers started anti-erosion work this morning, said Mr ML Mitra, the superintending engineer from the north circle irrigation department.

Mr Mitra admitted that with rising water levels in the river Fulohar, erosion started along its bank lines, including Bhaluka Bazaar, identified as a vulnerable zone, stretching 500 metres. “We have taken up temporary anti-erosion work at Bhaluka Bazaar, at an estimated cost of Rs 3 lakh, following the demands of the local people”, said Mr Mitra.

According to him, to check erosion and save the embankment, a scheme of Rs 20 lakh has already been allocated, and the project was scheduled to start on 15 July, but the department had to begin the work on 8 July due to the increased pace of the erosion. The superintending engineer said the scheduled work would be started there from 15 July, but that Rs 3 lakh would be deducted from the Rs 20 lakh fund. After visiting Bhaluka Bazaar, the North Malda MP, Miss Mausam Noor, sent an appeal to the union water resources department to look into the matter. That appeal was forwarded to the Mahananda embankment division through the proper channels.

According to the irrigation department's flood control cell, the water level of the Fulohar was 26.82 metres, just 2 cm below the danger mark in the unprotected zone, at Teljana point in north Malda on 8 July. The flood cell has recorded the river's rising water level trend, and planns to show a yellow signal in the unprotected areas. Further down the stream of the river Fulohar, the Malda irrigation division has recorded the whirling water trend of the river at Shankaritola ghaat in Manikchak block, and dumped boulders in an attempt to arrest the erosion there.

Following the western wave, the Ganga has also started eroding its left banks in Manikchak. However, the water level of the Ganga was, on 8 July, far below the danger mark. ;SNS