‘Union Ministry remained inactive on Ganga erosion issue’
Malda: Samar Mukherjee, MLA Ratua, came down heavily on the Union government for having remained inactive on the Ganga River erosion issue. He further alleged that this is how BJP is going to divide Bengal geographically. Owing to continuous erosion, Ganga will meet Padma before Farakka Barrage thus dividing North and South Bengal.
Ganga at present is flowing at 25.06 meters, 0.37 meters above ‘danger level’ and has eroded and inundated new areas in Bhutni, Manikchak, Ratua and Kaliachak-III blocks.
Mukherjee alleged: “In total, the Ganga has changed course by 9 kilometers (from its old route) in Malda and is only 400 meters away from River Fulhar. Once the rivers join, the area between these will be totally submerged. Ganga will take the course of Pagla river in Mothabari and meet Padma there leaving Farakka Barrage useless. This will disconnect North Bengal along with the entire North East India from South Bengal.
The BJP has failed to divide Bengal politically and so they are waiting for it to be done geographically. The left bank of Ganga from Manihari of Purnia district in Bihar to Samserganj in Murshidabad should immediately be concretised to stop this menace. The chief engineers of the Irrigation department from Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal jointly sent a proposal to New Delhi worth Rs 1550 crore, which is yet to receive a nod.”
On the other hand, almost 70 families have taken shelter in the flood shelter at Gopalpur High School in Manikchak. North Hukumattola has been the worst affected. Srikantotola, Maniramtola, Amirjantola, Pataldanga, Budhiramtola in Ratua are under severe risk of being totally inundated.
Kartiktola in Bhutni is inundated and almost 300 families have been shifted to Kesharpur Colony embankment by the administration. Dry food and water have been supplied to them. In Kaliachak III, Golapmandalpara of Pardeonapur-Sovapur Gram Panchayat is witnessing a heavy erosion by Ganga which has already sunk the sandbags placed along the banks.
