The ruling BJP government of Bengal has initiated a new tender for dredging the Karala riverbed in Jalpaiguri after cancelling the one floated during the Trinamool Congress regime
Under the new arrangement, the selected agency will have to pay royalty to the state irrigation department for the material extracted from the river. The Bengal finance department will soon determine the royalty rates per cubic foot or cubic metre.
Dredging is likely to begin by late November or December, although it may be delayed, an irrigation department source said. The work is scheduled to be completed within six months of commencement.
The proposed project will cover a 15-kilometre-long stretch of the river, from within Jalpaiguri town to its confluence with the Teesta. The irrigation department said around 1,27,730 cubic metres of sand and silt, equivalent to around 45 lakh cubic feet, is likely to be removed.
The dredging project has been delayed earlier. The first tender, floated last year during the Trinamool government’s tenure, failed to attract bidders.
A second tender for dredging was issued in January to avoid incurring direct expenditure. Under that model, the agency would hand over a portion of the extracted material to them.
However, this raised concerns about storage, transport and sale of the silt and sand.
The department then cancelled this tender before Durga Puja and invited fresh bids under a royalty-based system. Under the revised mechanism, the selected agency will pay the department a specified amount for every cubic foot or cubic metre of material extracted from the river.
“This arrangement will reduce administrative complications for the department, improve the river’s carrying capacity and generate revenue for the state government,” said Krishnendu Bhowmik, chief engineer of the irrigation department’s northeast division.
The Karala river, often described as the lifeline of Jalpaiguri town, carries domestic wastewater and rainwater from several parts of the city.
The river has lost much of its depth over the past decades and resembles a shallow drain during the dry season, with water levels sometimes falling below the knee in winter.
During monsoon, the overflowing river inundates low-lying areas, including parts of Samajpara, Paresh Mitra Colony, Pabitrapara, Hospitalpara, Dinbazar, Senpara and Babupara..
The final project will cover the stretch from near NH27 Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College, passing through Aravinda, Paharpur, Kharia and Mondalghat gram panchayat areas and the Jalpaiguri municipality.
Bhowmik said the dredging would improve drainage, reduce waterlogging and minimise the risk of flash floods caused by heavy rainfall in parts of Jalpaiguri town.
Environmental expert Raja Raut said sediment accumulation had reduced the river’s depth and carrying capacity, leaving nearby areas vulnerable to flooding even when water levels rose slightly.
Bhowmik said the department would sign an agreement with the selected agency once the finance department approves the royalty rates.
Irrigation department engineers will supervise the work and ensure that dredging is carried out properly at designated locations.