Jalpaiguri: The Irrigation department is set to renovate two key drainage canals in Jalpaiguri district ahead of the monsoon. The Gadadhar Canal in Jalpaiguri town and Hatinala in Dooars play crucial roles in managing water flow during the rainy season.
Gadadhar Canal drains approximately 25 wards of Jalpaiguri town and parts of Aravind and Kharia Gram Panchayat areas, while Hatinala channels water from the Bhutan mountains, benefiting a large area of the Banarhat Block.
According to sources from the Jalpaiguri district Irrigation department, the renovation of the Gadadhar and Hatinala irrigation canals cost around Rs 2.5 crore. Of this, the Gadadhar canal renovation costs Rs 25 lakh, while the Hatinala renovation costs over Rs 2 crore.
Krishnendu Bhowmick, Chief Engineer of the North East Division of the state Irrigation department, stated: “The renovation work on these two canals is nearing completion. Additionally, restoration work on the Phuleswari and Jorapani canals in the district is underway. We anticipate completing this work before the monsoon season.”
Waterlogging issues plague a wide area of Jalpaiguri town including wards 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, and 15, 16 during monsoon and parts of Arvind Gram Panchayat. Previous neglect of the Gadadhar Canal exacerbated these problems.
However, recent initiatives by the Irrigation department include renovating a 2-km stretch of the canal, mitigating waterlogging risks.
Similarly, Hatinala’s overflow into Banarhat due to lack of renovation posed challenges, with debris accumulation worsening the situation. The current renovation effort addresses these concerns by refurbishing a 3-km section of the canal, benefiting residents by improving drainage efficiency.