Ganga crosses danger level again, Bhutni faces flood aftermath

MALDA: The devastating flood that struck Bhutni has severely impacted over a lakh residents across three Gram Panchayats, leaving behind a trail of destruction and submerging vast tracts of aman paddy and jute fields. Fears of a new flood have resurfaced as the water level of the river Ganga has risen by nearly a meter in the past four days, surpassing the danger level and reaching 24.95 meters on Friday, with levels continuing to rise. As per the irrigation department, the water may rise another 30 cm for the backflow of Fulhar river water but will not cross extreme danger level at 25.30 m mark.

With floodwaters beginning to recede, the district administration has been ramping up relief and recovery efforts to address the ongoing crisis and aid affected communities. However, now that the situation is vulnerable once again, the district administration took stock of the situation in a review meeting.

The Public Health Engineering (PHE) department has been actively working to mitigate the crisis by installing 459 temporary tubewells and initiating chlorination of 1,000 old tubewells daily. Additionally, 417 temporary toilets have been constructed to ensure sanitation in affected areas. Water supply has been bolstered with tankers delivering 13.1 lakh liters of water daily, while over 4,65,000 water pouches have been distributed to residents.

Health initiatives are also in full swing. The administration has conducted 96 awareness sessions by ASHA workers to educate villagers on diarrhea and dengue prevention. Extensive larvicide spraying is underway to control mosquito breeding, and additional medical supplies, including halogen tablets and diarrhea kits, are being distributed. To support the increased health demand, Bhutni PHC has seen a boost with extra medical staff and seven additional doctors from Swasthya Bhawan.

Relief efforts continue with the operation of 2 flood shelters and 4 gruel kitchens, and distribution of essential items such as 40,000 tarpaulins, dry food, and 3,500 packets of baby food. Normalisation efforts are progressing with schools and ICDS centers being opened and Mid-Day Meal services have started. The restoration of piped water supply has been done, and the affected villages have been reconnected to the power grid by WBSEDCL.

Infrastructure repair work is a priority, with roads, culverts and embankments being repaired by SRDA, PWD Roads and Zilla Parishad. Cleaning efforts are being supported by 32 operational pumps and JCBs for large-scale sanitation.

Irrigation concerns are also being addressed, with repairs to the Basantatola embankment expected to be completed by Saturday. Efforts are focused on finalising the estimate for the 2.4 km ring embankment and acquiring land for additional flood defenses on a priority basis. Local farmers, who have suffered significant losses due to submerged crops, are calling for compensation. The district agriculture department is conducting a survey to assess the damage and determine the financial impact on agriculture.

Nitin Singhania, district magistrate Malda, said: “As per direction of Hon’ble Chief Minister, extensive relief measures are to continue for the people in distress till the situation completely normalises.”