Raiganj, May 27: The district administration has asked the state government to allot funds for flood control. This was decided at a meeting held at Karnajhora Zilla Parishad Hall yesterday.

North Dinajpur district magistrate Ariz Aftab and officials of different departments were present at the meet.

Talking to reporters, Aftab said: “The monsoon brings untold misery to thousands in Raiganj. We are helpless against the raging waters of the rivers from Bangladesh. To add to our woes, we never know when the floods will strike. We have sent the proposal to the state government to initiate proper flood control measures.”

The district magistrate said the block development officers had been ordered to take precautionary measures before the onset of the monsoon.

Floods are a recurring phenomenon in Raiganj. Acre after acre of standing crop is destroyed and erosion takes a toll on property.

The Kulik, which runs through Hemtabad and Raiganj blocks and the Sui, which flows though Itahar block, are the most fearsome rivers, which are in spate throughout August.

The swirling rivers in Karandighi, Chakulia and Goalpokhar have eaten into several hectares of farmland.

“Raiganj has to deal with the fury of reverse floods too,” Aftab said. The Kulik and the Nagar meet the Mahananda. The rising waters flood the Itahar block once again in September, even before the waters from the August floods recede.

Last year, as in previous years, National Highway 34 was inundated for more than two weeks, cutting off the Kalomati area from the rest of the district.

“Relief operations are impeded, communications are down and people often die because help does not reach them on time,” Aftab said.

A source said, this year, the district administration had pressed all its resources to combat floods from the dry season itself.

The civil defence department has arranged for a motor boat and the health department has stocked up on medicines to tide over emergencies, he added.

A survey was also conducted to ascertain which rivers in Bangladesh fed the major rivers flowing through North Dinajpur.

The district administration is also planning to hold talks with the Bangladesh government to chalk out ways to check the menace at its source.

Control room set up

A control room in the district, set up to monitor floods, will begin functioning from June 1, reports our Cooch Behar correspondent.

District magistrate Chandan Sinha said: “There will be no problems as we are chalking out flood-control programmes much ahead of time. Officers from the district administration have held a meeting in this connection.”