Malda: Barely two months after its construction with a budget of Rs 1.35 crore, a newly-built ring embankment at South Chandipur in Bhutni Island in Manikchak block collapsed owing to the strong currents of the Fulhar River, triggering panic and raising fears of fresh flooding in the Bhutni area.
The breach occurred around 7 am on Wednesday, resulting in river water gushing into the protected areas at high speed. Local residents, still haunted by last year’s devastating floods, expressed anger and frustration. In 2024, two rounds of flooding had kept Bhutni submerged for nearly two months after a similar embankment failure.
This year, seepage through the base of the new embankment was noticed a few days ago. The Irrigation department attempted to plug the leak with sandbags, but the measure failed.
“The embankment was built in such a way that it shouldn’t have collapsed. The leak was created deliberately. People from CPI(M) and BJP removed sandbags to weaken it,” alleged Manikchak’s Trinamool Congress MLA and Malda Zilla Parishad mentor Sabitri Mitra. “Those who damaged this embankment should be punished.”
However, BJP’s South Malda general secretary Gaur Chandra Mondal blamed the ruling party, calling it a man-made disaster. “The TMC government has failed to ensure proper embankment construction and flood prevention. This is negligence at its worst,” he said. The collapse has already inundated large parts of South Chandipur and water is expected to reach North Chandipur and Hiranandapur Gram Panchayats. Around 1.5 lakh people are estimated to be affected. Water from the Ganga has also started entering Birnagar, Deonapur and Rajnagar in Baishnabnagar, with the Ganga, Mahananda and Fulhar rivers all flowing above or near the danger mark.
District Magistrate Nitin Singhania said: “All reports have been sent to Nabanna. Rescue teams are on standby and the administration is monitoring the situation closely.”
Boats and NDRF personnel have also been deployed and some pregnant women have also been moved to safer places. Malda North BJP MP Khagen Murmu accused the state government of avoiding Central aid: “From erosion control to flood prevention, this government neither takes help from the Centre nor does anything on its own, leading to this crisis.”
District TMC president Abdur Rahim Boxi countered: “The Centre doesn’t help and BJP here plays politics. This is the time to stand with people, not to politicise.”
Meanwhile, rising Mahananda waters have flooded over 200 houses in wards 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14 of English Bazar Municipality, with more areas at risk. “Flood centres have been set up and made operational,” stated Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury, Chairman of EBM.