FUND ALLOCATED FOR EROSION OF GANGA-PADMA RIVER BASIN
The erosion in banks
of Ganga/Padma is a natural phenomenon being a meandering river.
The intensity of erosion varies with location and also from year
to year.
Flood Management
including river erosion being a state subject, investigation,
planning and implementation of flood management schemes are within
the purview of the State Government. The Central Government renders
assistance which are technical, catalytical and promotional in
nature.
In 1996, the Planning
Commission had appointed an Expert Committee under the Chairmanship
of Shri G. R. Keskar, the then member, Central Water Commission
to study bank erosion problem in Ganga/Padma river in the districts
of Malda and Murshidabad in West Bengal. The committee had recommended
various short term and long term measures. The Government of West
Bengal had requested during 2001 to release Central Grant of Rs.
139.5 crore for short term schemes to be executed by Government
of West Bengal.
In this regard, the
Planning Commission had already released an amount of Rs. 30.00
crore during the year 1998-99 to the Government of West Bengal
as additional Central assistance for taking up of the above works.
Thereafter in December, 1999, Government of India constituted
a Central Team headed by Chairman, Ganga Flood Control Commission
based on whose recommendations, a scheme for implementation of
critical anti erosion works in Ganga basin was formulated by Government
of India wherein an amount of Rs. 30.00 crore has been provided
for West Bengal and 17.50 crore for Farakka Barrage project for
taking up anti erosion works along the river Ganga-Padma. Against
this scheme since January, 2001, an amount of Rs. 23.48 crore
has been released to West Bengal and Rs. 4.00 crore to Farrakka
Barrage Project for taking up the anti erosion works. Release
of remaining amount will depend upon the utilisation certificate
to be given by the State Government. Further the above scheme
for providing Central Assistance is also being continued during
10th Five Year Plan for which an Expert Committee has
been constituted by Government of India which includes representative
from West Bengal to identify the critical anti erosion schemes
and also look into the recommendations of earlier Committees including
that of Keskar Committee.
This information
was given by the Union Minister of State for Water Resources,
Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty in a written reply to question from Shri
Prasanta Chatterjee and Smt. Chandra Kala Pandey in the Rajya
Sabha today.
