MALDA: Large areas of the old dam (Purono Bandh) are being inundated and it is now endangered due to continuous rain and the rising water level of Kosi River, a tributary of Ganga in North Chandipur which created erosion since Sunday night in part of Bhutni (Kalutantola).
Villagers think that after three to four days of such erosion, the old dam may be damaged heavily and large areas of land may be flooded if the river overflows its banks. Hundreds of thousands of families in some villages near Kosi are counting their days in fear.
District Magistrate Nitin Singhania said: “The situation is being monitored. We have taken up the repair work on an emergency basis. The irrigation department has been told. The work will be done immediately, considering the situation. The irrigation department has been asked to be on alert.”
After an extended heatwave, it started raining for a few days in Malda. The water level is rising in three rivers — Ganga, Fulhar, and Mahananda of Malda.
The Ganga flowed this morning at a level of 22.25 meters, Fulhar at 24.77 m almost 3 meters below the extreme danger level (EDL). On the other hand, the water level of Mahananda is 17.58 meters. Malda has received an average of .90 mm of rain in the last 24 hours.
Ruksana Parveen, the outgoing pradhan of North Chandipur GP, said: “The erosion has started due to rising water. The river came very close to the dam. We will draw the attention of MLA and BDO in this regard.”
Incidentally, the Ganga from Bihar enters Manikchak through Ratua. A tributary river emerges at the entrance and joins the Fulhar River at Manikchak two kilometres away. Every year from the second week of July, the Ganga, Fulhar or Kosi river starts to erode. This erosive section falls between North Chandipur and Hiranandpur regions. Last year, the embankment in this section was endangered during the erosion season.