Assembly passes resolution on Indo-Bhutan River Commissin
Kolkata: In an attempt to draw the attention of the Centre to a perennial issue like flood in North Bengal, the state Assembly on Monday passed a resolution that would urge the Centre’s intervention in constituting Indo-Bhutan River Commission to check flood that takes havoc on the lives of people in North Bengal districts.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Assembly proposed to form a committee that would take up the issue with the Centre. Banerjee also reminded that she had demanded the formation of an India-Bhutan river commission at the recent Niti Aayog meeting in Delhi. Speaking on a resolution regarding erosion control and flood mitigation in her state, Banerjee said that in the recent NITI Aayog meeting she had raised the demand for the formation of the India-Bhutan River Commission, in line with the India-Bangladesh River Commission.
“I have raised the issue at the NITI Aayog meeting in the presence of the Prime Minister. I highlighted at the NITI Aayog meeting that since the shape of Bengal is like a boat, the problem of waterlogging in the state is immense,” she further said. Banerjee asserted that her government is opposed to any agreement between India and Bangladesh over sharing of the Teesta River water.
Banerjee said sharing Teesta water will mean “depriving north Bengal of even drinking water”. Teesta River has very little water during the winter and summer seasons, she said. She also alleged that the state government was not invited to discussions between India and Bangladesh over the renewal of the Farakka Treaty, stating that her state is a stakeholder in the issue, as river Ganga flows into the neighbouring nation from West Bengal.
She further pointed out: “BJP is taking a one-sided decision about sharing Teesta Water with Bangladesh. We will never accept it.” She accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of providing money to neighbouring states like Assam and Bihar for the purpose of flood prevention while Bengal is
still deprived.
State Parliamentary Affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay had moved the resolution in the Assembly under Rule 169 on July 26 regarding erosion control and flood mitigation. The main objective of the resolution is to draw the attention of the Narendra Modi government so that the Indo-Bhutan River Commission is formed to protect the interest of Bengal in checking floods.
“Bengal is situated in the lower catchment areas and hence in case of flood in UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal is majorly affected. Around 163.5 Kms in Bengal are getting affected. Since 2005, around 3,371 hectares of farmland and vastu lands have gone underwater. In future,
National Highway 131 will be affected,” Banerjee told the House on Monday.
“Lower Damodar basin project has been taken up at a cost of Rs 2,232 crore. Around 30 lakh people in 40 blocks would be benefited. But the DVC has to carry out dredging in Maithon and Panchet to increase the water holding capacity otherwise the project would not be successful,” Banerjee said.
