By Express News Service
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of the grave threat of river erosion along the river Ganga-Padma and sought his intervention to reconsider the decision of withdrawal of the extended jurisdiction of Farakka Barrage Project Authority (FBPA). The CM further urged him to take up bank protection schemes.
“You are kindly aware that West Bengal is an extensively river-oriented state with the Ganga being a vital river in the state. It is true that the main objective of the construction of Farakka Barrage under the central government is to divert 40,000 cusecs of Ganga water to the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system so that the navigability of Kolkata port is maintained,” Mamata wrote.
“However, this has led to siltation on the river bed resulting in spilling, bank erosion and flooding in adjacent areas. This issue has been raised at the national level, not only by West Bengal but also by Bihar,” the letter added.
The West Bengal Chief Minister raised the same issue in a letter to the PM in February this year.
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Referring to the reply by the Centre to her earlier letter, Mamata said in her letter, “The Union Minister, in his letter, has indicated that FBPA has executed anti-erosion/river protection work to the tune of Rs 342 crore during the period from 2005 to 2009. However, it is noticed that the area is still suffering from severe erosion problems at several sites.”
“As a result, it is clear that the anti-erosion efforts have been attempted piecemeal, with no holistic approach taken. I would, therefore, request you to kindly advise the concerned department to conduct a joint study supported by suitable model analysis, involving the FBPA and governments of West Bengal and Bihar under the aegis of the Ganga Flood Control Commission,” read the letter.
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The Bengal CM pointed out in her letter that the existing jurisdiction of anti-erosion work of the FBPA needs serious re-examination at the earliest. She alleged even in their original jurisdiction, the FBPA has not taken up any comprehensive anti-erosion activity but has executed piecemeal work only to show off.
“Even during the period of extended jurisdiction, which remained valid from January 2005 to July 2017, the FBPA failed to plan and implement required anti-erosion works on the extended stretch of 120 km through the state government repeatedly urged,’’ she said in the letter.
Mamata also alleged no central assistance was provided to address river erosion in the affected districts.
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of the grave threat of river erosion along the river Ganga-Padma and sought his intervention to reconsider the decision of withdrawal of the extended jurisdiction of Farakka Barrage Project Authority (FBPA). The CM further urged him to take up bank protection schemes.
“You are kindly aware that West Bengal is an extensively river-oriented state with the Ganga being a vital river in the state. It is true that the main objective of the construction of Farakka Barrage under the central government is to divert 40,000 cusecs of Ganga water to the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system so that the navigability of Kolkata port is maintained,” Mamata wrote.
“However, this has led to siltation on the river bed resulting in spilling, bank erosion and flooding in adjacent areas. This issue has been raised at the national level, not only by West Bengal but also by Bihar,” the letter added.
The West Bengal Chief Minister raised the same issue in a letter to the PM in February this year.
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Referring to the reply by the Centre to her earlier letter, Mamata said in her letter, “The Union Minister, in his letter, has indicated that FBPA has executed anti-erosion/river protection work to the tune of Rs 342 crore during the period from 2005 to 2009. However, it is noticed that the area is still suffering from severe erosion problems at several sites.”
“As a result, it is clear that the anti-erosion efforts have been attempted piecemeal, with no holistic approach taken. I would, therefore, request you to kindly advise the concerned department to conduct a joint study supported by suitable model analysis, involving the FBPA and governments of West Bengal and Bihar under the aegis of the Ganga Flood Control Commission,” read the letter.
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The Bengal CM pointed out in her letter that the existing jurisdiction of anti-erosion work of the FBPA needs serious re-examination at the earliest. She alleged even in their original jurisdiction, the FBPA has not taken up any comprehensive anti-erosion activity but has executed piecemeal work only to show off.
“Even during the period of extended jurisdiction, which remained valid from January 2005 to July 2017, the FBPA failed to plan and implement required anti-erosion works on the extended stretch of 120 km through the state government repeatedly urged,’’ she said in the letter.
Mamata also alleged no central assistance was provided to address river erosion in the affected districts.