West Bengal Government Plans to Prevent Natural Calamities (India)

The West Bengal government has decided to rope in experts from premier institutions like the Jadavpur University (JU) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur to prepare a master plan to prevent natural calamities in the state, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday.

‘The state development and planning department has been asked to talk with the experts of the JU, Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), Shibpur, and IIT-Kharagpur and prepare a master plan to arrest calamities like flood and draught at the earliest,’ said Banerjee.

Different expert committees will be set up to arrest flooding and draught in the state besides restoration of rivers and channels.

Many parts of the state get inundated during heavy rains due to chocked rivers and areas covering Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore and parts of Birbum and Burdwan are draught prone.

If suitable plans can be chalked out to dredge the choked rivers and facilitate irrigation system, the natural calamities could be prevented, she said.

‘We have to harvest rain water and utilise it successfully. Extensive research work is required in all areas for chalking out detailed plans at the earliest,’ added the chief minister.

(inewsone)

[mappress]

Source: inewsone, May 26, 2011;