Monsoon victims see ray of hope

13 April 2012

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 13 APRIL: Residents of Kolaghat, Tamluk and Mahisadal blocks in Midnapore East district who spend their days with bated breath every year during the monsoon may heave a sigh of relief at least this year as the state irrigation department has geared up to repair embankments of Rupnarayan river.
 “The department has already allotted Rs 3 crore for this and work is likely to start soon. We hope that we will be able to check erosion of Rupnarayan river which has already engulfed vast areas in Tamluk,” said Mr Soumen Mahapatra, state water resources irrigation and development minister.
  While the river has been eating into its embankment at Natunbazar in Kolaghat, it continues to erode its embankment along three kilometers from Pyratungi to Dakshin Chara Sankarara in Tamluk and Bar Amritberia and adjoining villages in Mahisadal over the past months. Some stop-gap measures were undertaken by the irrigation department to check erosion and subsidence, but these were of no use.  Last year, most of the blocks were severely affected by the floods because the state irrigation department had not taken any proper steps to check the problem. According to the Midnapore East district Flood Control Committee leaders, vast areas in about 200 mouzas of Kolaghat, Panskura, Tamluk and Sahid Matangini blocks remained submerged in water for over three months when the region was flooded in late monsoon.
The farmers had failed to grow paddy and cultivation of boro crops had suffered drastically affecting farmers. Those into betel cultivating and pisciculture had also been affected by the storms.  The reason for stagnation of accumulated water is that the only two water outlets in the area ~ the Soadighi khal and the Gangakhali khal ~ remain choked every year owing to lack of de-siltation over the years, the affected farmers said.
 Originating from Narayan-Pakuria-Murail, the 19-km stretch of Soadighi khal flows into the Rupnarayan at Saira.  The 21-km Gangakhali khal, emanating from Panskura, also flows into Rupnarayan but at the Radhaballavpur point.
A senior irrigation department official said: “The state government has already taken up the matter and work will start soon”.  A senior irrigation department officer said: “The long-pending drainage basin project involving the Keleghai, Kapaleswari and Baghai rivers in the flood-prone East and West Midnapore districts has already got the green light.
The Rs 650.38-crore project for the two districts, which are struck by calamity almost every monsoon, was recently inaugurated by chief minister Mamata Banerjee who had taken a keen interest in its implementation.”
 Apart from the three rivers, two other rivers ~ Chandia and Deuli ~ also featured in the scheme for excavation up to 141 km and strengthening their embankments, the officer added.  Meanwhile, the state government has received an assurance from the World Bank for financial assistance in minor irrigation projects in the state. “The World Bank will provide aid for Rs 1,250-crore minor irrigation project in the state,” Mr Mahapatra said.