‘No Central Funds for Repairs Since 2019’: Repairs begin at Tilpara Barrage

Kolkata: The Irrigation and Waterways (I&W) department began repair work on the Tilpara Barrage in Birbhum on Saturday, after it sustained significant structural damage following continuous heavy rainfall in the district. “We are using gabion Polypropylene (PP) rope and putting a cage around it, popularly known as boulder caging. This will ensure that the holes that have developed in front of the floor of the barrage will not eject sand further,” said a senior superintending engineer in the department. IIT Roorkee experts proposed the work on August 3. A team from the Central Water Commission (CWC), in the presence of the barrage expert from IIT Roorkee, Zulfikar Ahmed and the World Bank, will inspect the barrage situated on the Mayureshwar River on Sunday. Heavy rainfall triggered an unprecedented surge in discharge through the Tilpara Barrage, reaching 48,600 cusecs on July 29. By 7 am, inflow had peaked at 56,497 cusecs, exposing the sheet piles beneath the barrage apron and compromising the divide wall. While the area received around 600 mm of rainfall between late June and mid-July in 2024, the same period in 2025 saw over 1,500 mm of rain. Irrigation and Waterways minister, Manas Bhunia stated that temporary repairs to the barrage were undertaken in March with an allocation of Rs 21 crore and a deadline for completion in July.

However, heavy rainfall stalled the work, and cracks have since developed in the barrage’s dividers. The 308-metre Tilpara Barrage, built in 1951, was designed to supply water for irrigation across Birbhum, Murshidabad, and East Burdwan districts. Over the years, the barrage has sustained significant damage from repeated floods in the state. However, the recent escalation in the situation forced the government to halt movement on the bridge above the barrage from August 1. This has led to massive communication difficulties for the locals. Bhunia alleged that the Central government has not sanctioned any funds for repair work since 2019, which has contributed to delays in restoring the barrage.