WHERE HAS ALL THE WATER GONE? A stretch of the 20-ft-wide canal along VIP Road has vanished because of rampant landfill. Picture by Amit Datta

The three-km-long canals on either side of VIP Road are being filled up at several points, mostly by commercial houses, while the authorities allegedly sit idle.

Local residents fear that unless the “rampant landfill” is stopped immediately and the canals are restored, the VIP Road stretch from Baguiati and Kaikhali will be waterlogged during monsoon.

Rajarhat-Gopalpur municipality has denied any knowledge of the landfill. “We had launched a drive last year and broken down several illegal structures that blocked the canals. We are not aware of any fresh landfill attempt but will look into the residents’ allegations,” said civic chairman Tapas Chatterjee.

The residents claimed that last year’s drive was “superficial” and there had been no follow-up. “Thanks to the indifference of the civic body, stretches of the 20-ft-wide canals now resemble narrow drains. At places, the canals don’t exist at all,” said Nilotpal Dutta, a resident of Teghoria.

The residents’ forum, too, has voiced its concern over the landfill and pinned the blame on the municipality.

“The civic authorities have allowed several commercial establishments on both sides of the road to build culverts on the canals for easy accessibility. These culverts have encroached on the canals and reduced their width,” said Animesh Chakrabarty, a member of Baguiati Nagarik Forum.

He also alleged that a school near Joramandir has filled up a part of a canal and converted it into a playground.

Another part of the canal in the same area has allegedly been encroached on by a ceremony house.

The landfill is also creating traffic hazards, as cars from both sides of the road are directly hitting the high-speed corridor after crossing the culverts.

“The municipality has assured us that it will construct service roads to tackle the problem,” said an officer of the district traffic police.