West Bengal has submitted a Rs 3,300-crore proposal to the Centre for a permanent response to recurring floods and riverbank erosion in Malda and Murshidabad, with Rs 500 crore already approved, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Thursday.
The proposed flood mitigation work will cover vulnerable stretches in Manikchak, Ratua, English Bazar and Kaliachak-II in Malda. It will also extend to riverbank areas downstream in Murshidabad, including Lalgola and Samserganj, according to the chief minister.
Adhikari said work on the permanent solution would begin after floodwaters recede. “Funds will not be an issue,” he said, adding that the state could seek financing from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Asian Development Bank and other sources if required.
The plan will include a detailed project report on the erosion problem. A team from IIT Kanpur, which had visited the affected areas, has been asked to prepare the report, the chief minister said. The announcement places the technical assessment and the selection of long-term interventions at the centre of the proposed response to the erosion crisis.
The state government is also providing a Rs 241.6-crore compensation package for 24,595 people affected by the latest floods and erosion in Malda. Families whose houses were completely damaged will receive Rs 1.80 lakh, while those whose homes suffered partial damage will receive Rs 90,000, Adhikari said after conducting an aerial survey of the affected areas.
Around 5,000 poor families affected by the floods were provided five days of food supplies and other relief materials, including new clothes, on Thursday. The relief distribution was carried out at a programme in Manikchak, where the chief minister handed over compensation and assistance to affected residents.
Adhikari said there had been no reported deaths from snakebite or diarrhoea during the latest flood situation, quoting district magistrate Rajanvir Singh. The statement comes as the state continues immediate relief operations while preparing a broader intervention focused on flood control and erosion-prone riverbanks.
The chief minister also said around Rs 1,700 crore could become available from the Centre’s Calamity Relief Fund, alleging that the amount had not been properly utilised by the previous government. The source report did not provide details of the proposed release or the specific works to be financed through the fund.
Separately, the state announced development initiatives for Malda, including the development of 353 model villages and implementation of the Vibrant Village programme in 29 border villages. The immediate flood-control work, however, remains tied to the receding of water levels, preparation of the IIT Kanpur report and the mobilisation of approved and additional funds.
