Malda, July 27 -- Rising water levels in the Mahananda, Ganga and Fulhar rivers have triggered widespread fear across Malda, where hundreds of families are facing the twin threats of flooding and riverbank erosion. Adding to their anxiety are rumours that residents may not be allowed to rebuild homes along vulnerable riverbanks after floodwaters recede.
Along the Mahananda in English Bazar, residents are closely monitoring the rising river. Although many homes remain above water, uncertainty over possible relocation has left families worried about their future. Twenty-four-year-old Charu Mondal, holding her one-and-a-half-year-old son, said: "The water is still rising, though more slowly than before. I don't know how long we can continue living in our house."
Rahul Harijan, a snack vendor from Jora Tanki, said floods have become routine, but this year feels different. "We know we must leave when the water rises. But if we are not allowed to rebuild later, where will poor people like us go?" he asked.
Ward No. 1 councillor Poly Sarkar appealed for rehabilitation instead of displacement. "These families cannot afford to buy land. The government should use available vested land to provide them with permanent shelter," she said.
Meanwhile, Manikchak has witnessed severe erosion along both the Ganga and Fulhar rivers. More than 50 metres of land in Kesharpur has been swallowed by the Ganga, while another 25 metres near Mathurapur and Shankartola Ghat collapsed into the Fulhar. Fresh erosion has also affected Jotpatta, Ramnagar and Domhat.
Many villagers blamed the Bhutni bridge and a Public Health Engineering water intake project for changing the river's flow. They alleged that the structures have intensified erosion by altering the current and weakening riverbanks.
Mathurapur resident Sohail Khan said: "My house is barely 30 to 40 metres from the embankment. Last year, anti-erosion work was carried out at huge cost, yet the river has returned within a year."
Former Manikchak Panchayat Samiti land committee chairman Bikash Mondal urged immediate government intervention. "Without urgent anti-erosion work, many more families will lose their homes and farmland," he warned.
With water levels continuing to rise and erosion spreading, thousands of riverbank residents in Malda are hoping for immediate protective measures and a long-term rehabilitation plan before another monsoon leaves them homeless and struggling to rebuild their lives once again.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.