'Centre has stopped funds for flood management projects'

Kolkata: State Irrigation and Waterways minister Subhendu Adhikari said on Tuesday that the Centre has stopped providing funds for the Flood Management Projects (FMP) along the districts of East Midnapore and West Midnapore.

While addressing a question answer session in the Assembly, Adhikari said the state government has carried out various projects including the embankments of the rivers of East and West Midnapore.

Comprehensive FMPs have been carried out in Keleghai-Kapaleswari-Bagai river, which has brought the flood situation under control. The Keleghai-Kapaleswari projects were expedited by the Mamata Banerjee government.

"The Centre has failed to deliver on its promises regarding FMP in Western districts and the Aila-affected areas of North and South 24-Parganas. The state government has done embankments of rivers in those areas to check the flood conditions. The Ghatal Master Plan has not been implemented by the Centre either. The state government has taken up the issue with the Centre on a number of occasions," Adhikari said.

The state government has allotted around Rs 307 crore for various flood management projects in Ghatal, Daspur I&II and Egra. People in the area will be benefitted, the minister said.

As a part of the irrigation projects, as many as 8 bridges have been constructed along the rivers in the East and West Midnapore region. Dredging of rivers is underway in various districts, including Birbhum and Bankura.

The state government has carried out work on embankments of rivers measuring around 34.62 km at an approximate cost of Rs 70 crore last year, the minister said. He also pointed out that dams have been set up along 106 km in the Sunderbans and work has been going on in a stretch of 25 km.

In reply to a question of an MLA, the minister also said that after coming to power the Mamata Banerjee government has increased the amount of irrigable land. More than 36.22 lakh hectare land has been made irrigable so far.