Top Irrigation officials of Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar, in a joint survey, visited River Ganga at Mahanadatola under the Manikchak Police Station in Malda to survey the extent of erosion on Tuesday. These officials together will chalk out a model plan for the prevention of the Ganga erosion.
The team took stock of the erosion situation from a boat from Mahanadatola to Sahibgunj in Jharkhand. The state of Bengal initiated a joint venture to ease administrative obstacles. At places, consent of the governments of Bihar and Jharkhand will be required to execute an effective erosion prevention plan.
Ashok Kumar, Executive Engineer of Jharkhand, said: “We have seen that the banks of the river is eroding. A model study has to be conducted and a plan is to formulated to prevent erosion and save the banks. Expert consultants have visited the affected areas. The model will be tested and then the governments will jointly execute the plan.” The officials went to Sahibgunj on a boat and saw many channels among the braid bars that remain inactive. The officials have opined that these channels need to be activated.
Dredging of these braid bars will be an effective solution so that the channels open up. The whole area is being surveyed by an expert agency to find solutions to the erosion problem.
On May 4, during an administrative meeting, Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of Bengal had allocated Rs 50 crore for the current year to be used for prevention of erosion, which she had termed a ‘very serious problem.’
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry has constituted a high-powered committee to work out a permanent solution to the river erosion problem in Malda and Murshidabad districts. R D Deshpande, General Manager of Farakka Barrage Project Authority, said this in a seminar on Ganga erosion recently at the Town Hall under the English Bazar Police Station.
The Ganga Bhangan Pratirodh Action committee claims that thousands of families have lost their houses to the erosion of River Ganga. “The affected families have not got permanent houses till now and live in mango plantations or embankments. The Central government has to compensate them and provide permanent rehabilitation,” stated Tarikul Islam of the action committee.