The Ghatal Master Plan (GMP) was drawn up in 1979. Broadly speaking, it recommended draining floodwater out of Ghatal township, routing it through canals and local rivers, and releasing it into the Rupnarayan, the main river flowing through West Midnapore and East Midnapore before merging with the Hooghly. The GMP involves 11 blocks — Ghatal, Daspur I and Daspur II, Chandrakona I and Chandrakona II, Debra, Keshpur, Panskura I, Kolaghat, Moyna, Tamluk I; 5 municipalities — Ghatal, Chandrakona, Khirpai, Kharar and Ramjibonpur municipalities; and 2 districts — East and West Midnapore. It spreads over 5 Assembly constituencies — Ghatal, Daspur, Chandrakona, Keshpur and Debra — and 3 Lok Sabha constituencies — Ghatal, Arambagh and Tamluk. The area to be covered is 1,659 square kilometres. It was a ₹50 crore plan but 47 years on, it is a ₹1,500 crore plan, and it still awaits implementation. Moumita Chaudhuri lists the roadblocks, small and big

1981-82: The GMP is drawn up during the tenure of the Janata Party coalition. As per the plan, the West Bengal Government allots ₹30 lakh in its annual budget. But the newly formed Congress government at the Centre does not allocate any

2007-2010: Following a massive flood in 2007, an all-party meeting is held, and a letter is sent out. The GMP is updated by WAPCOS, a central government agency. Research work continues until 2011, and the Ganga Flood Control Committee sends questions to the state government. But since an election was imminent, actual work gets shelved

2011: The Trinamool forms the government. The state government sends a reply to the Flood Control Commission with the help of experts from Kharagpur IIT. But work does not progress

2015: The GMP is accepted by the Centre in the Winter Session of Parliament. However, no money is allotted

2016: The Bharatiya Janata Party forms the government at the Centre. The Centre-state funding ratio drops from 60:40 to 50:50. The Mamata Banerjee-led government gets into a dispute with the Centre over this

2018: During an election campaign, Banerjee reassures the people of Ghatal that the GMP will be implemented without any financial aid from the Centre. In 2021, the Trinamool loses the Ghatal constituency in the Assembly election to the BJP

2024: Ghatal MP Dev refuses to contest the election, stating he had failed to keep his promise to the people of Ghatal. Banerjee accompanies him to an election rally in Arambagh. Vows to implement the plan without central aid

2025-2026: ₹500 crore is allotted in the 2025-2026 West Bengal State Budget. Five lock gates are repaired, the Chandrashekhar Canal is dug up and merged with the Silabati. But work is stalled over land acquisition issues

January 2026: A no-cost GMP initiative is announced to meet part of the project's objective of desilting the rivers and canals. Accordingly, clay from the Silabati bed is dug up. Though clay is dug up and sold, the work does not begin due to the upcoming Assembly elections

2026: The BJP forms the government and allots ₹1,200 crore in the West Bengal State Budget