RIVER EROSION

Initiative to address river erosion menace

River erosion is one of the major problems the residents of Cooch Behar district suffer from. Though it is a round the year phenomenon the problem turns worse during the monsoon months. There was a widespread demand to address the problem by adopting permanent measures but the concerned authorities never took proper initiative to meet the menace. The issue comes up only after any damage of any embankment during the monsoon. The concerned authorities then engage agencies to repair the damaged embankments. The agencies too do it with sandbags by collecting sands from the riverbeds and submit inflated bills. Several political parties have raised demands to stop the malpractice but to no avail. This time the new state government may take needed measures to curb river erosion to save the residents and their properties and also to take steps to stop the illegal practice, believe locals.

The president of Cooch Behar district unit of the Trinamul Congress and also the newly elected MLA from Natabari Assembly segment, Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh said the river erosion problem turned worse in the district. Many farmers and villagers have lost their farmlands due to the erosion of rivers. The rivers have gobbled up their cultivable lands and homesteads and turned them homeless and penniless. The Left Front government did nothing to save them. This time, after taking charge of the government Miss Mamata Banerjee announced allotment of Rs 200-crore for Uttar Banga Unnayan Parshad. "We shall try our best to address the river erosion problem with that fund. We hope Cooch Behar district may get about Rs 30-crore to Rs 40-crore from that fund", he said.

Two other Trinamul Congress leaders of the district - state forest minister Mr Hiten Barman and the Mathabhanga MLA Mr Binay Krishna Barman already expressed their desire to take initiatives to control the river erosion problem in the district.