Malda: ‘Hundreds displaced’ as water levels exceed danger marks
Malda: An alarming rise in the water levels of the Ganga, Fulhar and Mahananda rivers has triggered widespread panic and destruction across Malda district. With the Ganga flowing at 25.45 metres—15 centimetres above the extreme danger mark at Manikchakghat—and the Fulhar swelling to 27.77 metres, 34 cm over the danger level, hundreds of families are fleeing their homes amid worsening erosion and flooding.
Over 500 families have taken shelter on the newly-constructed ring embankment in Bhutni, while low-lying villages like Kalutantola, Basantatola and Srikanthtola are witnessing rapid riverbank erosion. On Wednesday night, several homes in Kalutantola were swallowed by the Ganga.
“We barely escaped with our lives,” said Shivkumar Chowdhury, a resident of Kalutantola. “The house collapsed within moments. We lost everything.” The Fulhar River’s sudden surge has also inundated large tracts of farmland in Harishchandrapur, displacing residents in Islampur Gram Panchayat. Meanwhile, in Ratua, the situation is dire. A 150-year-old Kali temple has been submerged and adjacent heritage structures are at risk. Over 200 families in Ratua alone have been displaced in the
last 48 hours.“The Ganga is not just destroying our land, it’s taking away our memories,” said Shrikanta Mondal, a displaced resident of Ratua.
Amid rising public outrage, locals have accused the Irrigation department of worsening the crisis. Soil is reportedly being dug just 20 feet from erosion-prone riverbanks and packed into cement bags as erosion control measures. “It’s like digging a canal to invite disaster,” said Debashis Baidya of Kaliachak-III.
In response, State Irrigation Secretary Sanjay Kundu, accompanied by Chief Engineer Gaurachand Dutta and Superintendent Engineer Pradip Bhattacharya, visited erosion-hit zones like Kamaltipur and Mooliramtola on Thursday. “We are on high alert,” assured Executive Engineer Shibnath Bhattacharya. “Emergency measures are being implemented in affected areas.”
However, political blame games continue. Ratua MLA Samar Mukhopadhyay criticised the Centre: “The Ganga is a national river. Prevention is the Centre’s responsibility. Timely action could have prevented this.”
North Malda BJP MP Khagen Murmu blamed the state: “Despite our repeated requests, no erosion-prevention proposals were submitted to the Centre.” With the water levels expected to rise further within 24 hours, Malda stands on edge. As fear looms large, the question remains—who will act before it’s too late?
