Nepal releases water, Mamata Banerjee concerned over fresh floods in Malda and Murshidabad

 Kosi, which originates in Tibet, is a transboundary river. It flows through Nepal and enters India in Bihar's Katihar district, where it merges with Ganga

Boats evacuate flood-hit residents of Bhutni islet in Malda to safer places on Sunday as water levels of the Ganga keep rising : Pictures by Soumya De Sarkar

Bireswar Banerjee, Soumya De Sarkar, TT, Siliguri/Malda, 30.09.24 :  Chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grave concern over the apprehension of fresh floods in Malda and Murshidabad districts as water was released through the Kosi river in Nepal on Sunday.

The effect of the release will be felt in these Bengal districts on Monday.

“Nepal has released around six lakh cusecs of water. We are deeply worried as the water will swell the Ganga and can impact Malda, Murshidabad and even parts of North and South Dinajpur districts. The administration is on alert and initiatives are being taken to shift people to safer places,” Mamata said at a news meet in Uttarkanya on Sunday evening.

Kosi, which originates in Tibet, is a transboundary river. It flows through Nepal and enters India in Bihar. At Bihar’s Katihar district, it merges with the Ganga.

“Due to intensive downpours in Nepal, water has been released from the Kosi barrage. This water will increase water levels of Ganga, which in turn, can flood different blocks of Malda and Murshidabad, the districts which are in the left and right banks of the river,” said a senior administrative official.

While the chief minister is constantly monitoring the situation, officials of the district administration, the police and elected representatives of Trinamool in Malda, a district already facing floods in and around the Bhutni islet, are spending sleepless nights.

Around 1.5 lakh people have been affected in the floods in Bhutni.

“They are on alert and the DM (Nitin Singhania) and the SP (Pradeep Kumar Yadav) have worked throughout the night yesterday to shift people to safer places. This excess water will flow through the area (Malda and Murshidabad) in another 24 hours. As there is fear that the flood situation may worsen, all necessary preparations are being done,” Mamata said.

“Earlier, it was because of DVC (central utility Damodar Valley Corporation that released water) that different parts of south Bengal got flooded. Now, the same situation is prevailing in north Bengal,” she said.

In Malda, the DM, the SP along with Sabitri Mitra, the TMC MLA of Manikchak, stayed at the BDO office in Manikchak on Saturday night. They held meetings till Sunday evening and were joined by Sabina Yeasmin, the minister of state of irrigation and waterways department.

Tazmul Hossain, minister in charge of micro, small and medium-scale industries, reached Harishchandrapur I and II blocks and spoke with the officials.

Sources said that on Sunday evening, the Ganga was flowing at a height of 24.83 metres, higher than the danger mark of 24.69 metres. Fulhar, another river, was flowing at 28.15 metres, only 20 centimetres below the extreme danger level.

“These two major rivers will swell when water from the Kosi reaches them,” said an official of the irrigation department.

DM Singhania said floods were reported from seven of 15 administrative blocks of Malda district.

“More than 2.3 lakh people are affected. Considering the current scenario, we evacuated 14,000 people in Manikchak and Ratua-I blocks,” he said.

Rivers Tangon and Punorbobha caused fresh floods in Gazole block, said sources.

In the past few days, as some people died in capsized boats, the administration and police started marking boats in Manikchak block on Sunday.

“The number of people allowed on a boat based on size is being marked to avoid overturning. Also, 500 life jackets have been given to people evacuated on boat,” said a police officer.

In Siliguri, Mamata stressed wearing life jackets during boat evacuations, saying “it is necessary to avert mishaps”.