Jalpaiguri: After being assigned dredging duties in the Teesta and Ghis rivers, the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation (WBMDTC) Ltd. is now set to remove silt and soil from the Karala River in Jalpaiguri. The state Irrigation department has formally requested the corporation to take up this task, marking a major step in efforts to improve urban drainage in the region.
The Karala, a key river for Jalpaiguri town, has long suffered from heavy siltation. While the Panga River still retains adequate depth, the Karala has become clogged and shallow, severely affecting the town’s flood resilience. Chief Engineer of the Irrigation department’s North-Eastern Division, Krishnendu Bhowmik, confirmed the urgency: “Clearing the Karala is critical for a planned upgrade to Jalpaiguri’s drainage system.”
Earlier attempts by the Irrigation department to dredge the Karala were stalled due to resource constraints at the district level.
A renewed appeal was submitted by Jalpaiguri Municipality vice-chairman Saikat Chatterjee during the Irrigation minister’s recent visit.
Following this, the minister recommended handing over the project to the WBMDTC.
Meanwhile, AK Singh, Deputy General Manager of the WBMDTC, said that although approvals have been secured for sand extraction from the Teesta and parts of the Ghis in Malbazar, high water
levels during monsoon are currently preventing field surveys. “We expect to begin work on all three rivers—Teesta, Ghis and Karala—once the monsoon subsides,” he said. The Karala project is currently awaiting final approval from the WBMDTC headquarters in Kolkata.
According to prior estimates, nearly 25,000 tonnes of silt and some sand may be extracted from the 13-kilometre stretch of the Karala. Initial dredging will likely begin near the Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College and continue through Jubilee Park to the Teesta-Karala confluence.
Soil will be the primary material removed, though sand layers are expected near Nij Math and Biswa Bangla Stadium.