The Bengal government is slated to take up with Bhutan the issues of flash floods and the deposit of huge amounts of debris caused by rivers which originate from the Himalayan kingdom and flow to the state.
The issues will be discussed at a meeting scheduled for January 30 and 31 at a private resort in Chalsa, Jalpaiguri district.
Anup Agarwal, the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri, will lead the Bengal delegation which will also comprise officials from the districts of Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar that share the border with Bhutan.
Sources said the Indian delegation would flag the issues of flash floods and huge debris deposits in the Dooars by the rivers that descend from Bhutan.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had on many occasions expressed her concern over those issues. Last year, the state government passed a resolution in the Assembly to demand the formation of a joint river commission with Bhutan.
“The delegation will demand an advanced alert system so that we can take precautions to mitigate the damage in Bengal. Flash floods damage hundreds of acres of tea plantations and agricultural fields in the Dooars,” said a source.
During the monsoon, the Bhutan rivers carry huge debris like boulders, pebbles and sand. “The debris is deposited on the riverbeds and gradually, the rivers lose the capacity to hold water. Even during normal rainfall, the water spills over the banks and floods the adjoining areas,” the source said.
Amitangshu Chakraborty, the principal adviser to
the Indian Tea Planters’ Association, said the Bhutan rivers carried dolomite dust which damaged tea bushes.
“We hope the issue will be raised at the ensuing meeting,”
he said.
Senior police officers said they had seized foreign liquor, petroleum fuels and some contraband items which had been smuggled into the three Bengal districts from Bhutan in recent months.
“We will take up such issues at the talks and emphasise the need to share information between Bhutan and Bengal and work in coordination,” said a police officer.
