Siliguri, 30th June: The continuous rainfall over the past few days has caused the Mahananda River to swell, leading to concerns about river bank erosion in various areas. On Thursday, an embankment constructed by the Irrigation Department gave way in the Bhupendra Nagar area of Ward No. 42 in Siliguri, intensifying the fears of the locals. To mitigate the erosion, residents have taken the initiative to safeguard the area by placing sand-filled sacks as makeshift barricades.
Approximately 40 to 45 families reside along the riverbanks in this area, and they are anxiously monitoring the rising water levels. Officials from the Irrigation Department have already visited the site and advised those living along the riverbanks to relocate to safer areas. Local residents shared their sleepless nights filled with worry due to the breached river dam. Councilor Shobha Subba, representing the ward, mentioned that a similar incident occurred last year, and the local community has been cautioned multiple times about this issue. She assured that she would visit the site promptly and work towards preventing further river erosion by deploying sandbags as a protective measure.