DPR to tackle floods in North Bengal districts ready, work to start next year

Kolkata: Floods for the people of North Bengal districts including Malda and two Dinajpurs will soon be a matter of the past as the detailed project report (DPR) of the master plan to carry out necessary work is ready and its execution would start next year.

In a bid to give relief to the people of Malda, North and South 24-Parganas from floods, the Mamata Banerjee government had decided to prepare a master plan based on which all necessary work will be carried out to check floods in the area.

The decision to prepare two master plans in order to check floods in North Bengal was taken. One of the master plans is for Malda, North and South Dinajpur districts while the other one is for Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar.

According to senior officials of the state Irrigation department, the DPR of the master plan for Malda and two Dinajpurs has been prepared following a preliminary assessment. A consultant was engaged to carry out a survey to prepare the assessment report.

It may be recalled that floods had led to massive destruction in both North and South Bengal districts in 2017. So, the state government has decided to take such a step that will give a permanent solution to the problems.

Under the master plan, desiltation work will be carried out in many rivers in the three districts, besides constructing embankments at many places. At the same time dredging of canals, construction of bridges and upgradation of swiss gates will be undertaken.

The necessary work that needs to be carried out after the DPR is prepared is going on in full swing and it is expected that execution of the master plan would start in the next financial year.

The state government had executed a master plan for south Bengal districts as well and it had helped to check floods in districts including Murshidabad, Birbhum, East and West Midnapore. The execution of the master plan has brought respite for lakhs of people for whom floods have become a matter of the past.

People of the flood prone areas stated that the Mamata Banerjee government has taken up major projects with a focus to bring an end to the longstanding problems and people in North Bengal districts will get respite from floods with the two master plans getting executed.