Biswabrata Goswami
MIDNAPORE, 23 JULY: The much-anticipated flood management program in Ghatal of West Midnapore, known as the Ghatal Master Plan (GMP), which aimed to bring relief to the flood-prone low-lying areas of Ghatal and adjoining regions, has hit a roadblock due to the denial of funds from the central government.
The project, which was designed to protect the people living in the districts of West Midnapore and East Midnapore from annual flooding, has once again come to the forefront with issues related to funding.
Trinamul Congress MP, Deepak Adhikari, popularly known as Dev, representing the Ghatal constituency, had raised concerns about the status of the Ghatal Master Plan and the lack of financial assistance from the Union government. In both December, 2022 and recently in March, 2023, he sought details from the Union Minister of State for Water Resources about the current progress of the project and the allocation of funds from the Jal Shakti Ministry.
In response to the MP’s queries, the Jal Shakti Ministry stated that the Ghatal Master Plan’s Phase-I works were considered and accepted for its techno-economic viability in the 136th meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The meeting took place on June 6, 2023, where the estimated cost of the project was assessed to be Rs 1238.95 crores.
Furthermore, the Investment Clearance Committee also reviewed the project in its 17th meetingon June 10, 2022 and it granted investment clearance for the implementation of the Ghatal Master Plan. However, despite obtaining the necessary approvals, the central government has not allocated any funds for the project.
According to the official response from the Jal Shakti Ministry, the reason for the lack of funds lies in the fact that the Ghatal Master Plan has not been included for funding under any scheme of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The Ghatal Master Plan encompasses a comprehensive flood management strategy that involves dredging the riverbeds and strengthening the embankments of 10 major rivers in the Midnapore region. These rivers, including Rupnarayan, Shilabati, and Kansabati, are known to swell during the monsoon season, leading to devastating floods in the area.
Additionally, the project aims to address the flooding issue by improving the canals in the East and West Midnapore districts.
The denial of funds has raised concerns among the local people and political representatives who were hopeful that the Ghatal Master Plan would bring much-needed respite from the annual flooding. With the project’s fate hanging in the balance, communities in the flood-prone regions are left to face uncertainty during the upcoming monsoon season.
Tags: #ghatalmasterplan #flood #paschimmedinipur #centralgovernment
