West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday distributed financial assistance totalling ₹242 crore to 24,595 families affected by flooding and Ganga erosion in Malda district, while announcing that the state is pursuing a ₹3,300-crore proposal for a longer-term response to the region’s embankment and flood problems.
The assistance was handed over at Mathurapur in the Manikchak block to families from the Bhutni islet and parts of Ratua-I block. Adhikari said families whose houses had been completely destroyed would receive ₹1.80 lakh each, while those with partially damaged homes would receive ₹90,000 each.
The chief minister said the government was aware of the combined flood and erosion risks affecting settlements in Baishnabnagar, Ratua and Manikchak in Malda, on the left bank of the Ganga. Similar problems have also affected Bhagabangola, Samserganj and other areas in Murshidabad, on the river’s right bank.
According to Adhikari, the state has sent a proposal estimated at ₹3,300 crore to the Centre to address the problem. He said the Centre had allocated ₹500 crore in the current financial year. The state has also engaged IIT-Kanpur to prepare a detailed project report for a permanent solution to flooding and erosion, he said.
The scale of the damage is reflected in the condition of the embankment at Bhutni. Speaking to reporters later, Adhikari said a 1,400-metre stretch along the Ganga had collapsed, while another 2,200-metre stretch required repairs. The source report did not specify the cost or completion timeline for these embankment works.
The state agriculture, horticulture and fisheries departments have been assigned responsibility for assessing compensation for crop losses, Adhikari said. He added that paddy cultivation in Bhutni was unlikely this year and that the administration would support alternative cultivation of mustard, kalai and wheat, as well as fish production.
The relief programme also included the distribution of clothes and ration ahead of Durga Puja. Adhikari said the support was intended to help affected residents participate in the festival despite the disruption caused by floods and erosion.
The announcement places immediate household relief alongside a broader infrastructure response. While the assistance addresses damage to homes and livelihoods, the proposed project and the IIT-Kanpur report are intended to examine measures for a permanent response to recurring erosion and flooding along the Ganga. The report did not provide details of the proposed engineering solution, funding structure or implementation agency.
Adhikari also said that 29 villages near the international border in Malda had been identified by the Union home ministry for development as “vibrant villages”. Around 403 schemes would be taken up in these locations, he said, while 353 model villages were also being developed in the district.
The next stated steps are the preparation of the detailed project report by IIT-Kanpur, assessment of crop losses by the three state departments and repairs to the damaged embankment stretches. The state also plans to provide support for alternative crops and fisheries in Bhutni during the current agricultural season.
