NALBARI, May 16 - The fate of the much-awaited Barbhag drainage development scheme being implemented at Nakheti village in Nalbari district to control flood problems of more than 50 villages, is hanging in the balance due to the negligence of the Brahmaputra Board officials. As part of this project, a sluice gate was designed on the Satha channel at the village to prevent the back flow of flood waters of Pagladia and Baralia rivers.
Unfortunately, the Brahmaputra Board has failed to complete the sluice gate on the small Satha channel during the last five years and could make a progress of only 10 per cent during the period. The Board remained silent even after the construction company left the site after it had completed only ten per cent of the project work.
The Barbhag drainage development scheme project is being implemented in Barbhag area to solve the flood and irrigation problems of that locality. Under the project, a sluice gate is being constructed over the Satha channel at Nakheti village at a cost of Rs 11 crore. The plan was to drain out the stormwaters of Barbhag area to the Pagladiya river through the sluice gate. Similarly, the sluice gate will protect the back flow of the Pagladiya and Baralia rivers during the monsoon floods.
However, the dream of the Central Water Commission (CWC) is yet to become a reality due to the failure of the Brahmaputra Board. The construction of the project was started in November 2012 and was to be completed within a period of 18 months. In the project, there are provisions of four underground walls � two walls measuring 45 metres in width and 42.4 metres in depth and two other walls measuring 45 metres in width, 60 metres in depth.
Unfortunately, the construction company, during the last 19 months, erected only one wall and now it has left the site. The local people complained before this correspondent that negligence on the part of the Brahmaputra Board officials has delayed the anti-flood project of the Barbhag area. In the absence of a sluice gate, the people of Barbhag area have been facing flood problems every year and the poor farmers of the area are compelled to stop their sali crop cultivation. The back flow of the river Pagladiya submerges the entire area and affects the sali crop during the monsoons.
