'State will find permanent fix to curb coastal erosion using tech'

kolkata: State Irrigation and Waterways minister Partha Bhowmick during his inspection at Digha Mohona on Wednesday said that the state government will bring a permanent solution to the issue of coastal erosion by adopting modern technology.

He visited the coastal areas which have eroded. The minister assured that there will be a permanent solution to this issue. It may be mentioned that Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh along with the state minister Akhil Giri visited Digha beach town and its adjoining areas on Monday. Ghosh talked to the local fishermen to know their problems.

Many fishermen informed Ghosh about the difficulties they face when tidal waves hit the region.

Ghosh called up the irrigation minister Bhowmick from the place and drew his attention. Ghosh later assured local fishermen that the minister would visit the region within 15 days.

It may be mentioned here that the state government is already taking assistance from the Netherlands for sustainable implementation through cooperation in the fields of water security, flood mitigation, water resilience, coastal protection, delta morphology and embankment damage protection. A Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed between The Netherlands and the state Irrigation and Waterways department at the sixth edition of the two-day Bengal Global Business Summit. The objective is to develop a framework for a two-year programme for technical cooperation starting from this month itself. This will entail long-term cooperation in the field of integrated delta management and development of the Indian Sundarbans and coastal areas of Digha.

State government has proposed formation of a 12-member committee with representation from the BJP and ruling Trinamool Congress which will go to Delhi to place the state's demand for funds for permanent reconstruction of river embankments in various districts. It is a serious concern for the state government as river embankments in stretches over 120 km have been damaged.

Incidents of embankment erosion have been reported from various districts including Nadia, Murshidabad, Howrah, Hooghly, Malda. Out of the 12 members committee there will be around 7 members from the ruling Trinamool Congress and 5 from BJP.