The recurring collapse of embankments on Bhutni islet in Malda has triggered a demand for a high-level investigation, as flood-hit residents continue to struggle with inundation and relief distribution. Malda Dakshin MP Isha Khan Choudhury raised questions about the role of state irrigation department engineers and contractors during a visit to the affected area on Sunday.
The Congress MP visited Bhutni with former Manikchak MLA Mottakin Alam and local Congress leaders. The islet falls within the Malda Dakshin parliamentary constituency. Khan Choudhury said the immediate cause of the current crisis was the collapse of an embankment at Kesharpur near Hiranandapapur.
“The situation in Bhutni is horrible. People are struggling against the calamity. But the root cause of this catastrophe is the collapse of the embankment at Kesharpur near Hiranandapapur in the islet,” Khan Choudhury said, according to the report. He added that similar embankment collapses had been noticed by residents in previous years.
The MP called for an investigation into the repeated failures and questioned whether construction plans had contained lapses and whether contractors had followed prescribed standards. He sought a probe by agencies such as the Criminal Investigation Department or the Central Bureau of Investigation and said the role of irrigation department engineers and contractors should be examined.
Khan Choudhury also urged the Malda district administration to distribute relief materials equitably between people staying in flood shelters and those confined to submerged homes. His remarks included allegations of political discrimination in relief distribution under successive governments, though the report did not provide an independent assessment of those allegations.
The administration has received support from trade and industry bodies for relief operations in several flood-affected areas. Malda Merchant Chamber of Commerce and Malda Industrial Chamber of Commerce were among the organisations that provided materials for distribution in Bhutni, Ratua-I, Parlalpur in Kaliachak-III and Khaskol in Englishbazar blocks, district magistrate Rajanvir Singh Kapur said.
Administrative sources said the relief supplies included food items, biscuits, bedsheets, mosquito nets, shampoos and soaps. The consignment also included life jackets for use and distribution in inundated areas. The report did not specify the number of people affected, the length of the damaged embankment, the estimated repair cost or a timeline for restoration. The proposed investigation and the administration’s continuing relief distribution remain the next stated steps.
