Floods in North Bengal Caused by Rivers in Bhutan, Negligence of Centre: WB Minister
The West Bengal State Irrigation Minister, Partha Bhowmick, has attributed the ongoing floods in several districts of North Bengal to the negligence of the Central government in addressing the issue. Bhowmick, who is currently on a two-day tour of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Coochbehar to assess the flood situation, claimed that the floods in North Bengal are a direct result of rivers originating in Bhutan.
The minister attended a high-level disaster management team meeting, which included secretaries of disaster management, district SPs, DMs, and other officers, in Siliguri. The meeting aimed to discuss strategies to tackle the flood situation in the region, which has been exacerbated by heavy rainfall, leading to swollen rivers, damaged roads, and the destruction of property.
Speaking to ANI, Partha Bhowmick expressed his frustration with the lack of advance weather reports from Bhutan, which experiences heavy water flow during the monsoon season. Bhowmick claimed that despite requesting the Bhutan government to share weather information beforehand, they did not pay attention to the matter. He emphasized that this is not just an interstate issue but an international one, and the Central government should have taken notice and allowed the West Bengal state government to take preemptive measures.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly urged the Union government to address the issue seriously in order to protect the state. She has even proposed the construction of a check dam in Bhutan to mitigate the flood risks, but there has been no progress on that front.
It is worth noting that several rivers, including Raidak, Santosh, Kaljani, Jayanti, and a portion of Torsa, originate from Bhutan.
The state Irrigation minister is scheduled to visit various areas in the Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts of North Bengal to assess the flood situation.
These floods have caused significant damage and distress to the people of North Bengal, and it is crucial that the Central government takes immediate action to address the issue. The negligence in providing advance weather reports from Bhutan has resulted in unexpected flash floods affecting multiple districts. The West Bengal government’s request for cooperation from the Bhutan government and the proposal to build a check dam should be given due attention to mitigate the impact of such floods in the future.
The Central government, as well as the international community, must recognize the severity of the situation and work together to find long-term solutions to prevent the recurrence of such devastating floods. The people of North Bengal deserve better protection and support in the face of natural disasters like these.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
