Alipurduar, Jan. 1: Having waited in vain for the government to come to their rescue, residents of Chokoakhethi have taken up spades and shovels in their effort to build an embankment on the Kurmai river running through the village.

Chokoakhethi panchayat pradhan Bharati Roy and Alipurduar subdivisional officer Jiban Krishna Sadhukhan were surprised to see more than 1,000 villagers swarming the banks of the Kurmai to build embankments to control the rising water levels which wreak havoc during the monsoon.

All that the visiting officials could do was to stand a safe distance away and laud the unity of the villagers.

The Kurmai eats into around 80 acres of paddy land every year because of the absence of guide banks, embankments and bunds.

Contribution for building the embankment came in all forms. Some paid for the transportation for material, others chipped in with money.

People, who had nothing to give, lent a helping hand during the construction.

About 200 metres of guide embankments have already been put in place.

Roy said: “I expected some 300 people to be present at the site. I was taken aback by the turnout. The enthusiasm shown even by elderly people was simply amazing.”

“Everybody seems surprised by our unity, but this is not the first time we have undertaken such a venture,” said Susanta Burman, a local schoolteacher.

“A lot of planning goes into all our projects. We plan each phase of the work — from the role to be played by each person to the time span within which the work will be completed — to ensure smooth operation.”

Seventy-year-old Jatribala Devi also came to contribute in the work.

“I don’t know how long I will be able to work, but I am eager to do something for the village,” she said.

Villagers taking a breather at the site said they had pooled in 25 per cent of the cost involved at the outset.

“When we do our bit as planned, we usually end up saving money at the end of the venture,” they said.

Sadhukhan also expressed his surprise on seeing such a large number of people involved in the venture.

Jalpaiguri district magistrate Subrata Gupta has given the Chokoakhethi gram panchayat Rs 1.5 lakh as reward to show his support for the initiative shown by the villagers.