Acute erosion of farmland caused by the Ganga and Kosi rivers in Manikchak and Ratua-I blocks in Malda district has sent a ripple of fear among residents ahead of the festive season.

Residents of Hiranandapur and Uttar Chandipur panchayats of Bhutni, the largest islet in Malda’s Manikchak, are fearful of losing their residential plots as the Ganga is inching closer to the embankment that protects their habitations.

Although erosion started at Bhutni islet from August 15, it turned acute two days ago. A nearly 1km-long stretch of the bank has been eroded by the Ganga.

“We have lost over 50 bighas of agricultural land because of erosion by the Ganga. The river is merely 50 metres away from the embankment. If the embankment is breached, the entire Kesharpur area (under Hiranandapur panchayat) will be exposed to the river. Anything can happen then. We are on the verge of losing our houses and a section of people have started abandoning their homes,” said Bhola Mandal, an erosion victim.

The Kosi, a tributary of the Ganga that merges with the Fulhar, has swelled, causing erosion at Mahanandatola panchayat in Ratua-1 block.

The state irrigation department has started palliative work. Officials of the department, when contacted, said they had started palliative work. A sum of Rs 17 crore has been sanctioned this year by the state for anti-erosion work, they said. Sandbags are being stacked in the affected areas to stop the rivers from gobbling up chunks of land.

Residents of Bhutni and Ratua-I blocks however, are unconvinced.

“This (palliative work) is simply an eyewash. Sandbags can’t prevent such massive erosion. The funds of the government are simply being wasted. Only putting boulders in meshes can check erosion of this magnitude,” said Sonaram Mandal of Kesharpur, where erosion is acute.

Sabitri Mitra, the Trinamul MLA of Manikchak, has however, blamed the central government for the erosion.

“The Centre has not provided funds for large-scale anti-erosion work. The state government alone cannot check erosion along the entire stretch of the Ganga and other rivers which flow through Malda district,” she said.

Nitin Singhania, the district magistrate of Malda, said speedboats have been deployed for 24/7 vigil, shelter homes, disaster management teams and relief materials kept ready.

Infant missing

A 10-month-old boy fell into the Kosi river at Khasmahal in Ratua-I block on Tuesday. Search is on to trace the baby.

Sources said that Nasim Akhtar, an erosion victim of Khasmahal, was shifting to his relative’s place this afternoon. While he was walking along the banks of the Kosi river with his infant son in his arms, a chunk of land was gobbled up by the river. Akhtar, his baby and three other men fell into the river. The men managed to swim ashore but the infant went missing. “The baby could not be traced till evening. Search is on,” said district magistrate Singhania.

HC seeks reports on explosions at 2 places

A PIL seeking an NIA probe into explosions at English Bazar in Malda and Basanti in South 24-Parganas, in January and March 2020, respectively, came up for hearing before a division bench headed by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday.

The bench ordered the police stations at Basanti and English Bazar to file reports on the progress of their investigations within three days. “After verifying the said report, this court will decide whether the cases would be handed over to the NIA,” the Chief Justice said.

At Bagbari in English Bazar, a toto driver was killed when a blast ripped through the three-wheeler.

A building was razed to the ground in the explosion at Basanti.

Tapas Ghosh