West Bengal’s Irrigation Minister Manas Bhuniya declared on Wednesday that the state is forced to rely on its own resources to manage irrigation projects and combat erosion and flooding, citing a lack of central government funding.
Speaking during the Assembly’s question hour, Bhuniya accused the Centre of withholding due funds, leaving the state to shoulder the burden of recurring monsoon floods and water scarcity in the lean season.
“As the lowermost riparian state in the Ganga and Brahmaputra basins, Bengal bears the brunt of floodwaters from upper regions,” Bhuniya said. “The Centre is hitting us where it hurts by not releasing funds, yet we’re committed to serving our people with what we have.” He highlighted ongoing efforts like dredging and embankment construction, despite financial constraints, to address these challenges.
Bhuniya projected a hefty Rs 4,153.64 crore expenditure for 2025-26, covering major and minor irrigation projects, flood control, drainage works, and administrative costs. He detailed anti-erosion efforts along the Ganga, noting that works at 51 vulnerable spots in Malda and Murshidabad—costing Rs 240.82 crore—have been completed, with another 8.93 km of projects underway in areas like Dhuliyan and Lalgola. “Ganga erosion in Bhutni and Kataha Diara has reached critical levels,” he said, urging central assistance—a plea he claimed has gone unanswered despite repeated appeals.
The minister also outlined flood defenses in the Sunderbans, where embankments have been reinforced at 33 locations—17 in South 24 Parganas and 16 in North 24 Parganas—including 2,390 meters of protective bundhs. In north Bengal, he noted that 52% of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, and Jalpaiguri’s land faces perpetual river erosion and flash floods from Bhutanese transboundary rivers.
When BJP MLAs Biswanath Karak and Manoj Oraon challenged his claims of central neglect, Bhuniya called for bipartisan unity. “Let’s rise above politics and jointly demand the release of funds,” he urged. He pegged the cost of anti-erosion work along the Ganga at Rs 15-30 crore per kilometer, underscoring the financial strain on the state.