The Bengal irrigation department has taken the initiative to approach the Centre, seeking a permanent membership of the state to the Brahmaputra Board funds to carry out anti-erosion and flood protection work in north Bengal.

“Till now, Bengal is just an invitee member in the river board (which has its headquarters in Assam’s Guwahati). As a considerable portion of north Bengal and some prominent rivers like the Teesta and Torsha are parts of the Brahmaputra basin, we want a permanent membership to the board. Also, the board must sanction funds to carry out different works along the banks of these rivers,” said state irrigation minister Manas Bhunia over the phone on Saturday.

Sources in his department said that in the 2010-11 fiscal, the board had sanctioned ₹13 crore for north Bengal. In 2022-23, the board carried out some protection work on its own by spending around ₹8 crore in the region.

“However, no other fund reached us from the board. We are preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for flood protection and anti-erosion work in the Torsha river and other rivers which merge with it. A DPR (detailed project report) of ₹60 crore will be submitted to the board soon,” said Krishnendu Bhowmik, the chief engineer (northeast) of the state irrigation department.

From the board, the DPR would be sent to the Union ministry of Jal Shakti, which in turn, could sanction funds for the project, sources said.

Over the past few years, chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her cabinet colleagues have time and again accused the Narendra Modi government at the Centre of not providing funds to Bengal to check erosion, especially in Malda and Murshidabad districts where the Ganga is consistently gobbling up land and leaving people homeless.

In the past, Mamata has also advocated for a joint river commission with Bhutan, because in north Bengal several rivers and streams descend from Bhutan and cause flash floods during monsoon.

A senior official of the department said that earlier they had sent a proposal to the board, asking for funds to check erosion caused by the Jari Dharala river in Sitalkuchi of Cooch Behar. The river separates two Indian villages that share land borders with Bangladesh.

“Also, another proposal for flood protection measures on the left bank of the Teesta at Mekhiganj in Cooch Behar district, where the river enters Bangladesh, had also been sent to the board. We didn’t get any money (so far). Therefore, we believe that a permanent membership to the board would help (get the Bengal government central funds),” added the official.

Jayanta Roy, the BJP MP of Jalpaiguri, supported the demand.

“I have spoken with engineers of the state irrigation department. If they send any proposal to the board, I will speak at the concerned central ministry to get funds,” said the parliamentarian.

The Brahmaputra is a vast river which flows through parts of China, India and Bangladesh.