MALDA, 21 MARCH: Due to shortage in water-flow of the Ganga the Farakka Barrage Project is facing acute problem to supply water to Calcutta Port, NTPC at Farakka, and also Public Health Engineering department in Malda for its drinking water project.
The FBP is facing such problems over last nine days after releasing water to Bangladesh according to agreement.
The general manager FBP Mr K Yadav today informed the Malda district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh that it would stop releasing water to Bangladesh tonight because 10 days will be completed on 21 March.
The FBP authorities expect that ‘pond level’ of the Ganga may go up slightly in next 10-days. The FBP used to release water to Bangladesh for 10 days continuously in summer and stop it for next 10 days.
Mr K Yadav also asked Mr Ghosh that a high level meeting should be convened to sort out the present problem.
According to Mr Yadav, the rate of discharge in the Ganga has been drastically gone down. The NTPC and Calcutta Port are not getting sufficient water. Even though the FBP is trying to release water to Bangladesh, according to agreement, but the water-flow is not adequate for the neighbouring country.
Supply of arsenic-free drinking water has been disrupted completely in five blocks in the district due to shortage in supply of surface water from the Ganga and Fulohar since 18 March.
Nearly 10 lakh people have been affected in five blocks Kaliachak I, II and III, Manikchak and English Bazaar.
In southern sector of the arsenic-free water treatment plant near Farakka, nearly 5.50 lakh people have been affected.
The PHE engineers could not collect single drop of water from the Ganga through the intake plant located at Rajnagar since 18 March.
The district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh said: “I have informed the matter to the secretary of the PHE to sort out the problem and sought alternative suggestions”.
Having failed to supply drinking water due to shortage in supply of surface water from the Ganga the PHE has planned to supply water tanks, collecting water from other places, through trucks at 33 points covering 26 gram panchayats under the Kaliachak-I and III blocks from Monday.
The district magistrate today held meeting with the PHE, block officials, panchayat officials and other concerned authorities.
Six BSF’s border out posts and one of its sector offices in Kaliachak areas are facing drinking water crisis.
Malda DM has requested police and BSF to present at the time of water tank distribution at every spot from where people will collect drinking water.
A total of 66 trucks would be requisitioned for distribution of drinking water to the badly affected zone in Kaliachak I and III, the Malda DM said. SNS
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