Kolkata: In a bid to give respite to at least 27 lakh people in Howrah and Hooghly from flood-like situation, the Mamata Banerjee government is leaving no stones unturned to complete the World Bank project worth Rs 2,900 crore for dredging and strengthening of embankments along Lower Damodar basin within the set deadline of 2025.
The state government had taken up the project after the Centre did not provide any assistance for the same and the work was initiated in November 2020 with a target of completing the same in five years time.
With the state Irrigation and Waterways department being the nodal agency for implementation of the project, the work was carried out in full swing till the monsoon set in and already work of around Rs 350 crore is getting executed.
A senior officer of the state Irrigation and Waterways department said: "We are maintaining close surveillance and leaving no scope that would delay the project".
Completion of the project would avoid flooding on 4.79 lakh acres of land that will benefit 27 lakh people. Besides strengthening the embankments along the lower Damodar basin, dredging and water-flow regulatory structures would be constructed under the project. Flood walls are also getting constructed at different locations along the basin. It will check inundation in villages along the basin as water will not overflow the embankments despite swelling in water level in the river.
Besides checking flood in different rural areas including Amta, Udaynarayanpur, Khanakul and Arambagh in Howrah and Hooghly, it will also ensure improvement in irrigation system across a total area of 3,93,964 hectare that will benefit lakhs of farmers in five districts.
The work will once again commence after the monsoon season and there will be regular monitoring to ensure that the works get completed on time without any delay.