Siliguri, 07th January: Tension escalated in the Purba Chayan Para area under Dabgram-I Anchal in Siliguri on Wednesday following allegations of encroachment on the Angari Jhora River.
According to local sources, a resident of the area had started construction work, which locals alleged was being carried out by encroaching upon river land. As soon as the issue came to notice, residents raised objections, leading to a tense situation in the locality.
Following the incident, local panchayat representatives and police from the Ashighar Outpost reached the spot to control the situation. The panchayat made it clear that river encroachment or any form of illegal construction would not be tolerated. Locals decided to submit written complaints to the Ashighar Outpost, the panchayat pradhan, and the BLRO. Authorities assured that further action would be taken as per law. Police ordered an immediate halt to the construction work.
Meanwhile, the house owner denied all allegations. He claimed that no river land had been encroached upon and said that long-standing riverbank erosion had caused problems. According to him, repair work was being carried out only on the old structure for safety reasons to prevent future collapse.