Statesman News Service
MALDA, 21 AUG.: A section of administrative (civil) officials and political leaders blamed the irrigation department for collapse of old and new embankments at Bhaluka Bazaar in Harishchandrapur-II. According to them, a section of local people were also responsible for the damage of the embankment.
Though three years ago engineers of the Mahananda division of irrigation department realised that the Fulohar was changing its course and would be meeting its old course at Bhaluka Bazaar, no appropriate measures was taken to accommodate this change. Last year, when the river Fulohar changed its course, coming in close contact with the slope of the embankment, narrowing down its safe distance for erosion, nothing was done for saving the dyke despite several reminders from the local leaders and even from the district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh. “The top officials of the irrigation and waterways department did not care about its importance and did not send an efficient executive engineer in Mahananda division for at least three years”, said local FB MLA Mr Tajmul Hossain.
Though the department had finally sanctioned Rs 20 lakh during monsoon as palliative measures for checking erosion and some more funds for flood protection but nothing effective came up on the front of erosion and flood water management. The present executive engineer Mr B N Das, who is just at verge of his retirement, has failed keep matters under control. His visits to the spot in this moment of crisis has also been limited.
The local administration did nothing when local people were taking away bricks from the structures built by the irrigation department in the river to stem floods. “After stealing all bricks from the structure some people gradually have constructed their houses”, said Miss Debjani Datta, Chanchal SDO.
Chief secretary visits Malda
Statesman News Service
MALDA, 21 AUG: The state chief secretary, Mr Ashok Mohan Chakraborty (in picture) today visited Malda to take stock of the flood and erosion situation in the district. He expressed concern over the two issues but did not visit the affected spot, which drew flak from some quarters.
Assuring that he would look into the flood preventive measures taken in the northern part of the district, Mr Chakraborty added that despite announcements to shift from their areas 72 hours before inundation, Mekhliganj flood affected victims in Cooch Behar district refused to shift to safer areas. “As a consequence they are suffering a lot,” he rued. According to the official, the flood situation in north Bengal was not very serious at the moment. “Funds have been set aside for relief and restoration work in the flood hit areas,” the chief secretary said.
Mr Chakraborty visited an arsenic free surface water treatment plant at Ratua this morning and left for North Dinajpur later in the day.
The district administration has in the meanwhile, built a dwarf embankment to prevent floodwater from entering the densely populated areas at Bhaluka Bazaar in Harishchandrapur. The district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh ensured that funds for the construction of the dwarf embankment would be allotted from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). On the other hand, Malda MPs drew the attention of the general manager Farakka Barrage Project (FBP) to check erosion of the Fulohar river at Bhaluka.
The North Malda MP Miss Mausam Noor informed the district administration that the FBP general manager would visit the site. The water level in the Fulohar is still rising along with that of the Ganga and the Mahananda rivers and irrigation department officials fear the water level would rise more in these rivers in the next 48 hours.
No comments:
Post a Comment