Cooch Behar: Local residents in Harin Chora, near the Torsa River in Guriahati No II Gram Panchayat, have blocked ongoing dam repair work, alleging that the project is being carried out with substandard materials. The protest comes amid concerns over the safety of the embankment and the river-adjacent community.
According to the locals, the repair work, which was supposed to use new boulders, is allegedly being executed with stones salvaged from the old Torsa River dam. “If the dam is built using old boulders, the safety of residents in the area cannot be guaranteed,” said Shankar Chakraborty, a local resident. Hamidul Haque added that police had been intimidating residents, prompting them to halt the work.
The Torsa River, which flows alongside Cooch Behar town, recently witnessed severe flooding, leaving the riverbanks in a precarious state. In response, the administration initiated repair work on embankments along multiple rivers in North Bengal. However, concerns over construction quality have now come to the fore in Harin Chora.
Residents met with officials from the Irrigation department, who reportedly assured them that their complaints would be addressed. “The work being done to build the embankment is negligent. That is why we stopped the unit today. The department officials have assured us that they will look into the matter,” said Chakraborty.
Executive Engineer JP Pandey of the Cooch Behar Irrigation department, when contacted, stated: “Nothing major has happened. I am currently tied up in an urgent meeting and will provide details later.”
The incident coincides with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s ongoing visit to North Bengal, where locals have voiced concerns about flood management and river embankment safety.