Alipurduar: Construction work of embankments taken up at a cost of Rs 27 crore

alipurduar: In anticipation of floods and to protect the villages and canals, several embankments are being constructed at a cost of Rs 27 crore.

Several projects are already underway and a few proposals have got the nod.

Jaigaon, a town on the India-Bhutan border, is affected every year by heavy rainfall in Bhutan causing extensive damage.

A 2-kilometre-long retaining wall is being built at a cost of around Rs 3 crore to prevent further damage in the Jaigaon area affected by land erosion.

A 360m long drain has been constructed at Rs 66 lakh, to protect the Cha Sundari houses inside the Torsa Tea Garden from erosion caused by the Torsa River.

A proposal has been taken to construct a 3km long protection wall along the bank of the Mujnai River in Deogaon village under Falakata block at a cost of around Rs 4 crore.

Work is also underway in the Kumargram block to reinforce the dams in multiple locations along the streams of the Sankosh and Raidak rivers.

In addition, work will be done to control flooding in the Baniya River channel near the Dakshin Panialguri area at Rs 1.5 crore.

Long irrigation canals are being constructed in Samuktala, Baniya, and Jorai areas of the district to maintain an uninterrupted supply of irrigation water for crop cultivation throughout the year.

District Magistrate of Alipurduar, Surendra Kumar Meena, said: ‘’Inspections have been carried out in every area over the past two months to review the ongoing construction works. Priority is being given to projects in areas affected by floods. The projects are scheduled to be completed in the next 2 months. We are optimistic that the new projects for which tenders and work orders have been issued will be completed quickly. The projects for which proposals have been submitted will be implemented promptly.’’