Fishermen suffer without flood and drought relief

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 10: Cooch Behar district suffered a flood-like situation in July and September last year. 7,408 fishermen were affected. 593.4-hectre of wetland was also affected. 272 dwellings of fishermen were damaged. The total loss was estimated to about Rs 3.4-crore. On behalf of fisheries department in Cooch Behar a report was submitted to the higher authorities concerned on 18 September urging them to extend minikit worth Rs 750 per bigha containing lime, super phosphate and young fishes to each of the affected fishermen. The total sum needed to compensate the fishermen was estimated to Rs 33.38-lakh but nothing was sanctioned till date.

 

It was learnt that flood affected fishermen very often visit the office of the district fisheries department but they have to go back empty handed. The officials of the department made appeals to the district magistrate and the sabhadhipati of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad several times to take up the issue with higher authorities but that yielded no result.

 

Flood is not the lone cause of the misery of the fishermen. About 13,000 fishermen and fish farmers had to suffer during a severe drought in June-July of 2006. On 28 August in that year a report was submitted to the director of fisheries department stating that 2588.7-hector wetland was affected in the drought and the total estimated loss was Rs 8.3-crore. Later, on 4 September, a proposal was sent urging for relief of Rs 1.46-crore in the form of minikits worth Rs 750 each. The affected persons are yet to receive any drought relief till now.

 

Senior officials in the fisheries department in Cooch Behar admitted that the affected fishermen got no relief for flood and drought till now. But to add insult to injury the lease agreements of many waterbodies were revoked by a high powered committee to rotten jute plants in those waterbodies for peeling fibres. It turned the waterbodies unfit for fish cultivation and the fishermen got another jolt after drought and flood.

 

When inquired about the matter, the sabhadhipati of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad, Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda said they had forwarded the proposals for flood and drought relieves to the higher authorities when they received those proposals. But, why no fund was released yet is unknown to them, he said. []

 

Two roads

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 10: In an aim to improve the road communication between Ranirhat and Jamaldaha in Cooch Behar district the public works department has taken up strengthening of the damaged 13-kilometre road. The estimated cost for the project is Rs 2.75-crore. Strengthening of another 16-kilometre road between Tufanganj and Dhalpal via Bhatibari is also going on with a fund of Rs 2.75-crore. Both the works started in December and may be completed in February, according to the executive engineer of PWD (Roads), Highway division, Mr DK Singh. []