BALURGHAT: A stretch of the embankment along the Atreyee River collapsed near the dam on Sunday night, causing the stairway leading to the river to overturn. The incident, which took place in Ward 13 of Balurghat Municipality, triggered panic among local residents. Fears of flooding spread quickly as water seeped into the area.
Officials from the Irrigation department, along with the police and Balurghat Municipality Chairman Ashok Mitra, rushed to the scene. They inspected the situation late into the night, trying to determine the cause of the embankment breach. The low-height embankment was constructed a year ago under the directive of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to retain water in the Atreyee River throughout the year. However, the recent collapse has raised serious concerns about the construction’s quality and durability. Engineers from the Irrigation department acted swiftly by opening the dam’s gates to regulate water flow, hoping to ease the situation. Local residents alleged that the disaster occurred because the gates were kept closed, leading to water pressure building up.
This caused leaks in the wall, eventually resulting in the embankment’s collapse and water gushing into nearby areas. Rajkumar Haldar, a resident of the affected area, explained: “The dam has two gates, both of which were closed. The intense water pressure caused the stairway near the dam to overturn and collapse. As a result, water rushed into nearby areas, creating havoc. Only after the authorities opened the gates did the situation improve slightly. If the gates are not managed properly, such incidents will continue. We are living in constant fear.”
Balurghat Municipality Chairman Ashok Mitra assured residents that steps were being taken to investigate the issue. “On Sunday night, I visited the site along with the local councillor. Engineers from the Irrigation department arrived promptly to inspect the situation.
This is a technical matter and the officials will conduct a thorough investigation to determine why the stairway collapsed. However, for now, the situation is under control and we have urged residents not to panic.” The incident sparked political controversy. Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar blamed the state government’s “unplanned construction” and alleged corruption, tweeting that the embankment’s failure was a result of “poor planning and misuse of funds.”
In response, TMC district vice-president Subhas Chaki dismissed Majumdar’s claims, stating: “He is making uninformed comments. This is a technical issue and the engineers are handling it.
The MP is not an expert in such matters.” Meanwhile, the Irrigation department began emergency repairs on Monday, using sandbags to block the water flow. Officials confirmed that full-scale repair work would commence soon to restore the embankment’s integrity.