Mamata urges Modi for replacement of Farakka barrage gates
21 March 2015 11:24 PM GMT
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his immediate intervention for the replacement of Farakka barrage gates, one of which had collapsed recently.
State Irrigation Minister Rajib Banerjee on Friday said in her letter to Modi, the CM has urged the Centre to initiate a phase-wise replacement of all 112 gates of the barrage.
“The collapse of gate No. 49 recently has led to free flow of water to Bangladesh. The situation may worsen if other gates too collapse,” he said. “Most of these gates are damaged and need replacement. So far, only 22 have been replaced. So, the CM has written to the Prime Minister seeking his immediate intervention,” he said.
Banerjee said he had recently apprised Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti of her the poor condition of all lock gates at Farakka and that two of them had collapsed recently.
He said Bharti had told him that all lock-gates of the barrage needed to be changed in a phase-wise way by 2017, Banerjee said.
He said the CM had also apprised Modi of the matter so that a time-bound programme could be initiated in this regard. He said the CM has written to Modi for ensuring a time-bound replacement to protect the interests of West Bengal as with the collapse of the lock gates the water was quite often flowing down to Bangladesh. The barrage is located 17 km from the Bangladesh border.
State Irrigation Minister Rajib Banerjee on Friday said in her letter to Modi, the CM has urged the Centre to initiate a phase-wise replacement of all 112 gates of the barrage.
“The collapse of gate No. 49 recently has led to free flow of water to Bangladesh. The situation may worsen if other gates too collapse,” he said. “Most of these gates are damaged and need replacement. So far, only 22 have been replaced. So, the CM has written to the Prime Minister seeking his immediate intervention,” he said.
Banerjee said he had recently apprised Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti of her the poor condition of all lock gates at Farakka and that two of them had collapsed recently.
He said Bharti had told him that all lock-gates of the barrage needed to be changed in a phase-wise way by 2017, Banerjee said.
He said the CM had also apprised Modi of the matter so that a time-bound programme could be initiated in this regard. He said the CM has written to Modi for ensuring a time-bound replacement to protect the interests of West Bengal as with the collapse of the lock gates the water was quite often flowing down to Bangladesh. The barrage is located 17 km from the Bangladesh border.
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