At least 15 villages of Malda district’s Ratua and Manikchak blocks have been flooded by the Ganga in its left bank since Sunday night, administrative officials said here on Monday.

“The extreme danger level of Ganga is 25.30m and on Monday afternoon, it was flowing at 25.17m. That is why a number of villages in the low-lying areas are flooded. We are keeping close watch and collecting data on a regular basis. The river has swelled because of rainfall in its catchment areas upstream,” said an official of the state irrigation department.

“In Rajkishoretola (of Ratua block), people are using country boats on roads to shift to safety,” said a source.

The Fulhar and Mahananda rivers are also flowing close to danger level, sources said.

“We have asked all the BDOs to be alert. Relief materials have been sent to flooded blocks,” said Kallol Roy, the SDO of Chanchal subdivision.

Along with inundation, erosion caused by Ganga has turned acute in parts of Baishnabnagar in the district.

Over the past few days, close to 100 houses and hutments have been eroded away by the river, along with huge chunks of land. The onus to prevent erosion from the stretch is on the Farakka Barrage Project Authority.

On Monday, a delegation of youth Trinamul leaders and workers, along with Chandana Sarkar, the Trinamul MLA of Baishnabnagar, went to Farakka and demonstrated in front of its office.

They also submitted a memorandum to officials, seeking immediate anti-erosion measures.

“Authorities cannot evade their responsibility. Hundreds of people have become homeless in Baishnabnagar because of acute erosion and the authorities have hardly done anything to help people save their land and houses. We want to make it clear that if proper steps (to check erosion) are not taken within the next seven days, we will launch a prolonged movement,” said Prasenjit Das, district youth Trinamul president of Malda.

Officials at the FBPA could not be contacted. However, sources said the authority had taken up anti-erosion work in some stretches of Baishnabnagar.