Malda, Aug. 30 -- The rising water level of the Ganga has intensified riverbank erosion across several areas of Malda, forcing families to move to safer locations. The situation is particularly alarming in Ratua-I, English Bazar and Manikchak blocks, where houses and infrastructure face the threat of being washed away.

In West Ratanpur village under Mahanandatola Gram Panchayat in Ratua-I, erosion has swallowed a major portion of the West Ratanpur Primary School. Nearly half of the building has disappeared into the river, leaving the remaining structure precariously close to the eroding bank. Classes have temporarily been shifted to another school for students' safety.

Headmaster Bapi Sarkar alleged administrative indifference. "We are watching an entire school building disappear before our eyes. The remaining portion can collapse into the Ganga at any moment. Immediate action is needed to save the school," he said.

The crisis is equally severe in Khas-kol and adjoining areas of English Bazar. Several families were seen dismantling their houses and moving belongings. Thirty-six Rabidas families have taken shelter in a portion of Khas-kol High School, where the administration has arranged cooked meals.

In Rabidas Para, around 40 families, many of whom have lived there for generations, are dismantling their homes to salvage bricks, timber and other belongings before the river claims their properties. Six-generation resident Tinkori Rabidas said: "We have been living on this land for nearly 200 to 300 years. The Ganga was once far away. Four embankments have already disappeared. Now the river has reached the fifth embankment, and we have been forced to leave. We do not know where we will go."

At Gopalpur in Manikchak, several low-lying areas, including Hukumat Tola and Ishwar Tola, have been inundated. Water has entered kitchens, bedrooms, cattle sheds and fuel storage areas. Tube wells have gone underwater, creating a drinking-water crisis. Residents have sought boats, drinking water and relief materials.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.