Dredge plan for Karala revival

Jalpaiguri, Feb. 12: A Rs 23 crore project that entails dredging and diversion of sewerage to clean up and revive the Karala has been prepared by the North Bengal Flood Control Commission.

The chief minister is set to submit the project report personally to the Planning Commission during her upcoming trip to New Delhi and seek funds from the Centre.

The pollution of the river that has virtually become a refuse dump came to the limelight when thousands of fish floated up dead in Jalpaiguri on the morning of November 28.

Tests conducted at different laboratories revealed that endosulfan, a banned pesticide, had killed the fish like puti, boal, kholsey, tangra and boroli.

Narayan Chatterjee, the chairman of the North Bengal Flood Control Commission, said irrigation minister Manas Bhunia had handed over the detailed project report to Gautam Deb, the north Bengal development minister, at a meeting chaired by Mamata Banerjee in Siliguri on Friday.

“According to the report, the bed of the Karala will be dredged by one-and-a-half feet for a distance of 26km — from Shikarpur tea garden to the confluence of the river with the Teesta at Jubilee Park,” said Chatterjee.

The garden is 18km from Jalpaiguri.

Chatterjee said the dredging alone would cost about Rs 5 crore.

“The project also aims at diverting sewers away from the river. The sewers are connected to houses and shops along the bank. Once the natural flow of the river is restored, there will be scope for the irrigation department to introduce boating. The banks of the river will be paved and beautified by planting flowering plants and trees,” he said.

The construction of a spur and a bund at the confluence of the Teesta and the Karala also found a mention in the report. Both the structures will help stem the inflow of water from the larger Teesta to the Karala.

Minister Deb said north Bengal development department would give top priority to the revival of the Karala.

“We will soon launch the project in stages. I am certain that funds can be made available from the Planning Commission. I have spoken in detail with the chief minister about the project and she has said she will personally submit the report to the Planning Commission during her trip to Delhi between February 22 and 24. I will also accompany her,” said Deb.(Telegraph)