June 8, 2018
Rs 107 crore to check riverbank erosion
The Bengal Government has decided to invest Rs 107 crore to check erosion at vulnerable areas along the banks of the Ganga and the Padma. The work will be completed by March 2019.
Hundreds of people will get relief as they would no longer have to worry about their houses getting washed away by strong currents.
Another relevant issue in this case is national security. The Padma, for a large part of its flow in Murshidabad, forms the border between Bengal and Bangladesh. The erosion of its banks also leads to a threat to security as there have been instances when riverbanks close to border outposts (BOP) of Border Security Force (BSF) were washed away. On the other hand, a stretch of the Ganga divides Malda with the neighbouring States on the west.
It may be mentioned that during financial year 2017-18, the State Irrigation Department had invested Rs 72.1 crore for the same purpose. With this investment of Rs 107 crore, a stretch of 15 km will be concretised, so that the soil does not get eroded any more.
Around 37 spots have been identified where erosion of riverbanks is a serious problem and hampers the normal lives of people. The most vulnerable of these spots will be concretised initially.
Source: Millennium Post
