Save erosion-hit villages: Thousands of families from Malda appeal to PM

Malda: Thousands of families from the Ratua-I block of Malda district have made an emotional and urgent appeal to the Prime Minister of India, seeking immediate intervention to stop the devastating riverbank erosion caused by the Ganga, Fulhar and Kosi rivers. The erosion has already displaced nearly 80,000 people and now threatens over 100,000 residents, along with vital public infrastructure including 28 primary schools, health centres, religious sites, banks and roads.

A mass petition — signed by the residents of Mahanandatola and Bilaimari and endorsed by local Panchayat heads — has been sent directly to the Prime Minister. The letter highlights the 250-year-old history of this once-thriving settlement, now at the brink of destruction due to uncontrolled erosion. Despite repeated inspections by government officials, no substantial protective measures have been implemented so far.

The appeal has also been supported by Samar Mukherjee, MLA Ratua, who warned that the Fulhar river, once 15 km away, now flows just 500 meters from the villages. Letters have also been sent to the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, the North Malda MP, the District Magistrate and the Farakka Barrage Authority. Health officials, school principals, and residents have jointly requested the Centre to deploy the National Disaster Management Authority and begin emergency reinforcement of riverbanks using concrete barriers. Four major demands have been placed, including both short-term and long-term strategies to curb erosion before the monsoon worsens the crisis.

MP Khagen Murmu said in his letter to the Prime Minister: “If timely measures are not taken, at least 54 villages, including Shrikantatola, Munshiramtola and others, could be wiped off the map. These villages are now barely 300-400 metres from the dangerously eroding banks of the Ganga.”

According to locals, this is not just an environmental issue — it’s a humanitarian emergency. Families are living under open skies, children are out of school and farmlands have turned to riverbeds. The people of Malda are looking to the Prime Minister with hope and desperation. Their message is clear: Save our homes, save our future.