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Friday, 20 July 2012

Darjeeling CPM calls for inquiry into breach of river embankment- Army restores access to flood-hit village



SNS, SILIGURI, 20 JULY 2012: The Darjeeling district Left Front demanded a high-level inquiry into the breach in the Mahananda River embankment that inundated Champasari gram panchayat.
The secretary of the Darjeeling district Left Front, Mr Jibesh Sarkar, said that there should be a high-level inquiry to find out why the embankment was breached. “There should be an impartial inquiry to ascertain whether there was negligence on the part of the irrigation department. We feel the inundation could have been avoided if proper steps were taken. It is good that finally the Army has been deployed to repair the embankment. Many people have been suffering; the administration must address the problems. We have visited the inundated areas,” Mr Sarkar said at a Press meet in Siliguri today.
Mr Sarkar also said the affected people were not getting adequate relief.
The district Left Front also served a memorandum to the Siliguri sub-divisional officer, Mr Vhaibhav Shribastava, over the issue. The CPI-M zonal committee started collecting funds today to help those affected by the flooding.
Army restores access to flood-hit village in flood-affected North Bengal
TT, July 21: KOLKATA: Army engineers from the Kripan Division near Binnaguri successfully restored connectivity to the Khairkatta village near Nagrakata in North Bengal.
Nearly 2,000 villagers were marooned for five days after the Kuchhi Diana river breached its embankments and washed away the sole wooden bridge to the village. Initially, the civil administration had employed two elephants of the forest department to keep the village supplied but this was not a permanent solution.
"Resources from Trishakti Corps were mobilized and a single span 90-feet Bailey Bridge was readied in an overnight operation that started on Tuesday evening. This was achieved in spite of the torrential rain and the raging waters of the river below. The civil administration also provided manpower to strengthen the abutments. With more rains expected in the next two months, the bridge will play a very important role," an officer said.
Army columns have been kept on stand-by for rescue and relief
operations with most rivers in the Dooars flowing over their danger marks. The IAF has also been asked to remain prepared for air-drop operations should the need arise and aid be sought from the civil administration.

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