The state irrigation department is conducting an extensive survey to find out the status of the rivers and streams which flow into northern parts of Bengal from the neighbouring country of Bhutan and to assess the impact of these rivers on
human habitats.

Sources in the department said that the exercise has been taken up to prepare a detailed report that would be submitted to chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has been advocating on the need to constitute a joint river commission of India and Bhutan like the one it has with Bangladesh.

“From today, we have initiated the drive and visited certain areas in the Dooars. There, we checked the rivers that descend from Bhutan and also spoke to people who reside nearby to know the impact of these rivers, most of which cause flash floods during monsoon months,” said Krishnendu Bhowmik, the chief engineer (northeast) of the state irrigation
department.

According to him, they will prepare a report within a week and will send it to state irrigation minister Manash Bhunia. “We will elaborate on different aspects about these rivers to sybstan tiate the need to constitute a joint river commission with Bhutan for better sharing of information and to address other related issues,” he added.

Mamata, who was vocal against the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for bypassing Bengal while holding talks with Sheikh Hasina, the immediate past Prime Minister of Bangladesh regarding the renewal of the Ganga water sharing treaty that will expire next year, has explicitly pointed out that a joint commission with Bhutan is the need of the hour.

“Many rivers and streams flow into north Bengal from Bhutan. Due to heavy downpours in Bhutan, flash floods occur in these waterbodies, affecting villages, tea estates, forests and other areas every year. This issue has to be addressed and thus, the Centre should take up the proposal to form a joint river commission with concerned authorities of Bhutan,” said Mamata.

A rough estimation by the state irrigation department shows that around 74 rivers and streams flow into north Bengal – especially in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar
districts – from the neighbouring country.

A senior official said during the survey, they would speak with the common people who face the problem of inundation and deposition of silt because of flash floods in these rivers.

“It will have glimpses of the ground reality, the inconveniences faced by thousands of people, along with technical observations. The tea industry too, gets affected due to these rivers as gardens are flooded and plantations are washed away every year,” he said.

The team, led by Bhowmik, inspected the Diana and Sukriti rivers on Friday. These rivers flow into the Banarhat block of Jalpaiguri from the Samtse district of Bhutan.