Flooding has returned to parts of Bhutni in Malda after the Ganga’s water level rose again, submerging the main road connecting the island area with Manikchak and inundating around seven villages in the North Chandipur panchayat area, according to a report by Anandabazar.
The flooding has disrupted the Pulintola road, described in the report as the main route connecting Bhutni with Manikchak. With road access cut off, government boat services have resumed in the affected area. Residents, however, have raised concerns about the availability and cost of the boat services.
The renewed flooding follows a brief improvement in conditions. Water had started receding from several villages in Bhutni about a week earlier, allowing some residents to return home and begin cleaning their houses. The latest rise in the Ganga and the swelling of the Phulhar have brought water back into parts of the area, leaving some locations still unable to recover fully from the earlier inundation.
Local resident Putul Mondal told Anandabazar that water had receded from Bhutni only a week earlier and that residents had returned home after cleaning their houses. She said the water level rose by around one and a half feet overnight. The report said water was flowing over paved roads, while electricity poles and the bases of trees were surrounded or covered by floodwater.
The submergence of the Pulintola road has once again left residents dependent on water transport for movement and the delivery of essential goods. Resident Sarafat Ali alleged that government boats were not accepting luggage, while private boat operators were charging high fares. According to his allegation, passengers were being asked to pay up to Rs 50 per sack.
The disruption highlights the dependence of flood-prone settlements on a small number of transport links. When the road is submerged, access to markets, public services and relief supplies shifts to boats, making the availability, capacity and pricing of water transport an immediate administrative concern. The report did not provide details of the number of boats deployed or the total number of people currently dependent on the service.
Manikchak legislator Gourchandra Mondal said the administration was monitoring the situation. The report also said that a state-level visit to Malda was scheduled for October 8 to assess the flood situation in Bhutni, Vaishnabnagar and the wider areas of Ratua-I block. Relief materials and financial assistance were expected to be distributed to flood-affected residents during the visit.
For residents who had only recently returned to their homes, the renewed rise in water levels has delayed the return to normal life. Further administrative action will depend on the water level, the condition of the Pulintola road and the operation of boat services in the affected villages.