In West Bengal’s Ghatal subdivision, located 120 km west of Kolkata, finding a home that has never faced floods is a challenge. Every family in the villages here has a story of their house being submerged in flood waters year after year, with little change over the decades.
“Living here is extremely difficult,” says 55-year-old Champa Singh from Ajabnagar village on the outskirts of Ghatal town. The region, situated at the base of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, is highly susceptible to frequent floods that destroy everything in their path. The most affected are those living below the poverty line. The annual floods and the promises made by political parties to mitigate the destruction caused by these floods are crucial issues for voters as Paschim Medinipur heads to the polls in the sixth phase on May 25.
“When the water enters homes, we have to climb up to the roof and tie a tarpaulin to sit underneath. Even with the tarpaulin, we still get wet when it rains,” says Singh. Most new constructions in the region involve building structures on concrete stilts to avoid floodwater. Older homes keep the ground floor unoccupied to prevent damage during floods.
The Ghatal region receives heavy rainfall between June and September during the southwest-led monsoon season. Post-monsoon, cyclones from the Bay of Bengal bring intense rainfall to the area. The region is prone to flooding due to a network of rain-fed rivers like Shilabati, Dwarkeshwar, and Rupnarayan, with floodwaters lingering for long periods due to the basin-shaped topography.
Months before each election, political parties visit Ghatal with promises they often fail to keep. This year, with the focus on Ghatal due to star campaigners from the Bengali film industry contesting, promises around curbing floods are central to the election discourse.
The Ghatal Master Plan, proposed in 1976 to dredge riverbeds and strengthen embankments to mitigate floods, has seen little progress over the years. The estimated cost of the project is currently Rs 1,500 crore. Despite various governments’ assurances, no significant steps have been taken to implement the plan.
Residents of Ghatal, particularly in the flood-prone areas, await relief from the recurring floods. The political landscape is dominated by promises around the Ghatal Master Plan, but the actual implementation remains a distant dream for the villagers.
As campaigning intensifies, the focus on the Ghatal Master Plan becomes a key issue for voters in the region. The promises made by political parties, especially around flood mitigation, play a crucial role in shaping the electoral discourse in Paschim Medinipur.