As Cyclone Dana nears landfall, expected between the intervening hours of Thursday and Friday, the state irrigation department is racing against time to complete crucial maintenance of vulnerable earthen dykes along Bengal’s coastal stretches.

With time running out and darkness approaching, anxious villagers in several areas of the coastal region of Bengal, have taken matters into their own hands, reinforcing the dykes with earth and polythene sheets to protect their homes and land.

Amid this rush, many villagers have expressed frustration, accusing the irrigation department of neglect and only taking action when faced with an impending cyclone.

“It seems the officials wake up to the need for repairs only when a cyclone is imminent. The rest of the year, they remain blissful and ignore our plight. The politicians behave the same way, showing concern only before a natural disaster,” said a resident of Ganga Sagar.

“We can’t wait for the irrigation department to finish the job. With time running out and the weather worsening, we, the villagers, are doing whatever we can to protect our lives and property,” another villager from Ganga Sagar added.

At Sagar’s Dhablat village, homemakers were seen working together to repair dykes early on Thursday.

“We couldn’t wait for the local administration. We had to rush through our daily chores to join the repair work,” said one of the women involved.

The irrigation department has identified 65 vulnerable dykes, with 17 considered critical, and has initiated emergency repairs. However, insiders say the number of at-risk dykes is growing, with many villagers furious over the perceived neglect by local officials.

Villagers also voiced concerns about the durability of these last-minute repairs. “Filling the dykes with wet earth just two days before the cyclone won’t make them strong enough to withstand the high tidal waves forecasted,” said Rajen Halder, a resident of Hingalganj, North 24-Parganas.

Irrigation minister Manas Bhunia, however, blamed the central government, citing a lack of funds for flood management projects as the main reason for the delay in maintenance. He also noted that cyclone Dana’s sudden approach left little time to carry out the repairs.

“We were forced to act at the last minute,” Bhunia said.

The meteorological department predicts tidal waves could reach heights of 14 feet, with winds blowing up to 120kmph after landfall. Such conditions could severely damage the dykes, leading to flooding, irrigation officials fear.

Several earthen dykes across South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas, including Ghoramara, Patharpratima, Mousuni, Kultali, Gosaba, Sandeshkhali, and Hingalganj, are in a precarious state, and officials are monitoring them closely.