Rachna Banerjee urges to formulate Balagarh Master Plan in Lok Sabha

KOLKATA: Bengali actress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Hooghly MP Rachna Banerjee on Wednesday at the Lok Sabha raised the issue of alarming riverbank erosion, which poses serious threat to extensive areas of Balagarh, a major region in her constituency. She urged the Central government to formulate the Balagarh Master Plan.

Rachna said the river erosion is a grave issue that is plaguing the people of Hooghly in Bengal. “The relentless Ganga River bank erosion in the Balagarh region is causing severe distress and devastation to the lives and the livelihoods of our citizens, sir. The Ganga traverses through Hooghly districts approximately 74 kms out of which around 34 kms are urban and 44 kms are rural. The rural stretch predominantly falls within this Balagarh block. A more than 2 km stretch of the river bank area from Guptipara Ferry Ghat onwards in Balagarh is experiencing rapid erosion affecting our nine Gram Panchayats,” said the celebrity TMC MP, who defeated BJP’s Locket Chatterjee by a huge margin.

Popularly known for hosting the reality show ‘Didi No 1,’ Rachna’s opposition candidate during the election campaign frequently claimed she would be absent from her constituency after winning the election. However, on Wednesday, when Rachna spoke up for the people of Hooghly, she garnered major support from the residents of her constituency, who took to social media to thank their MP.

Rachna said thousands of families are losing their homes, agricultural land because of the river erosion.

“They also lack access to basic amenities due to the relentless force of nature in this whole region. Lack of proper dredging has further aggravated this situation, leading to the formation of sandbars. These sandbars obstruct the natural flow of the Ganga River, causing erosion and further damages,” she said.

The first-time MP also urged for an urgent need for a comprehensive Balagarh master plan. “We need a commissioned and comprehensive study to evaluate the extent of erosion and understand underlying causes under vulnerability zones. Also, we need construction and maintenance of robust embankments by reinforcing the vulnerable stretches,” said the popular Bengali actress-host, looking beautiful in a saree and collared blouse.

She also urged the need for timely dredging operations to maintain the river’s depth, prevent sandbar formation and stabilise the river bank. “I request the government to protect our river bank, safeguard our communities, and restore hope to the people of Balagarh and ensure that their plight is alleviated through timely and effective action,” she said.