malda: The state Irrigation department is all set to start work to prevent erosion in 1250 metres in three areas of Gazole and Manikchak blocks in Malda. Pegged at about Rs 6 crore, the project was flagged off by Sabina Yasmin, the Minister of State for Irrigation at Dewani area under the Gazole Police Station.
500 metres of erosion control work will be done on the right bank of Tangon River in Dobakhoksan area of Chaknagar gram panchayat of Gazole. Another 500 metres of erosion control project has been undertaken on the left bank of Mahananda River in the civil area of Bahirgachi-2 gram panchayat of Gazole. At the same time, another 250 meters of erosion control work has started in the Kanchantala area of Chowkimirdadpur GP in Manikchak, Malda.
Sabina Yasmin said: “Although a lot of money has been spent to prevent erosion in Malda’s Ratua, Manikchak and Baishnabnagar, the work is not sustainable in many cases. For this, the State Irrigation Department will conduct a high-level technical survey. The expert team will visit the affected areas of these three blocks of Malda to find out where the work will be done in the right manner and will give long-term benefits.”
Apart from Malda, this expert team of the State Irrigation Department will conduct a survey in the damaged areas in Murshidabad as well.
Yasmin also complained of deprivation of funds from the Union Ministry in the prevention of erosion. At the same time, she also targeted MP and the local MLA of the BJP.
“How can I become a public representative and remain silent without speaking for the interest of the people of the area? The problem of erosion in the area should be brought to the notice of the central government by the local MLA and MPs. They have done nothing,” alleged Yasmin.
In the area where the erosion prevention work has started in Gazole of Malda, the problem of erosion has been persistent since 1987. Hundreds of families in the village have lost their homes. In 2017 too, the areas under Chaknagar GP of Gazole witnessed severe river erosion. Local residents are happy that the state government has finally taken up the erosion prevention project.