Statesman News Service
MALDA, 1 SEPT: The irrigation and waterways department has approved ‘river training works’ to check the meandering trend of the Fulohar river at Bhaluka in Harishchandrapur block II. The work aims to divert the deep channel of the river from the left to the right bank.
After visiting the site yesterday, the I&W authority approved the plan suggested by the executive engineer, irrigation department, Malda division, Mr S Misra, who is also in-charge of the Mahananda embankment division.
According to Mr Misra, the department authority has instructed to float a tender this week to begin the work before the next spell of flood. The department has agreed to allot Rs 1.3 crore for the job to save the ongoing work on the 350-metre long embankment at Bhaluka Bazaar.
The construction of the 350-metre long embankment was taken up on an emergency basis after the river eroded away the old and new embankments in August. A guard wall, constructed for preventing flood waters, was also washed away due to severe erosion on the left bank of the Fulohar inundating large parts of Harishchandrapur and Ratua.
Mr S Misra said: “We will construct ‘permeable spurs’ covering 1.5 km. Several such permeable spurs would be set up on the riverbed at 50 metre intervals. These permeable spurs will deposit silt on the left bank, identified as a vulnerable zone and will divert the deep channel from the left bank to the right.
“If we can shift the deep channel to the right bank we would be able to check erosion on the left bank.”
The officials added that they have a proposed plan for anti-erosion work at a cost of Rs 8 to 10 crore, but were trying to shift the deep channel from the left to the right introducing the permeable spurs. “If the plan succeeds, the one to cost about Rs 8 to 10 crore can be scrapped,” he added.
Water level in the Fulohar is gradually receding and there is no forecast of another spell of flood before 8 September.
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