West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to formulate a concrete plan to address the “significant erosion” along the banks of the Ganga and Fulhar rivers in certain districts. In her communication, the Chief Minister highlighted the severity of erosion, pointing out that the distance between the banks of the Ganga and Fulhar rivers in Billaimari village, located in Malda district’s Manikchak block, has reduced to 1.5 km from the 4 km recorded in 2004. This erosion poses a serious threat to nearby villages and National Highway 131-A.
Mamata Banerjee recalled a previous letter she had written to the Central government on February 21, 2022, emphasizing the erosion threats posed by the Ganga-Padma river system in Malda, Murshidabad, and Nadia districts. In that letter, she had requested the restoration of the extended jurisdiction of the Farakka barrage project. While the Union Jal Shakti Ministry responded to the concerns raised, the Chief Minister reiterated the adverse impact of the Farakka barrage’s construction on the riverbed, resulting in silting, spilling, and flooding in upstream areas.
Despite challenges, Mamata Banerjee stated that the state government has taken urgent bank protection measures at 31 identified vulnerable stretches, incurring a cost of Rs 168 crore. The Chief Minister’s letter seeks the Prime Minister’s intervention and a comprehensive plan to mitigate the erosion issues plaguing the Ganga and Fulhar riverbanks.