Recurring embankment breaches in Malda’s Bhutni islet have triggered a demand for a high-level investigation, as flood-hit residents continue to face the consequences of the collapse near Kesharpur in Hiranandapur. Malda Dakshin MP Isha Khan Choudhury raised questions about the planning, construction and supervision of the embankment during a visit to the affected area on Sunday.
The Congress MP visited Bhutni with former Manikchak MLA Mottakin Alam and local Congress leaders. He said the condition of the islet was severe and attributed the immediate flooding to the embankment collapse near Kesharpur. According to the report, Khan Choudhury said similar failures had occurred in previous years and argued that the repeated breaches required investigation.
The MP called for a probe by an agency such as the Criminal Investigation Department or the Central Bureau of Investigation. He questioned whether irrigation department engineers had identified and addressed design weaknesses and whether contractors had followed prescribed construction standards. These allegations have not been independently established in the report.
Bhutni’s embankment network is central to protecting settlements from surrounding water bodies and riverine flooding. A breach can rapidly inundate homes, disrupt local movement and increase the pressure on relief shelters. The report does not specify the length of the damaged embankment, the number of people displaced or the estimated cost of repairs.
Khan Choudhury also urged the district administration to distribute relief materials equally among people staying in flood shelters and those remaining inside submerged homes. He referred to allegations of political discrimination in relief distribution under successive governments, but the report does not provide independent evidence or details of specific complaints.
Relief support has meanwhile been mobilised for flood-affected residents in Bhutni, Ratua-I, Parlalpur in Kaliachak-III and Khaskol in Englishbazar blocks. Malda district magistrate Rajanvir Singh Kapur said the administration had sought assistance from trade bodies, including the Malda Merchant Chamber of Commerce and the Malda Industrial Chamber of Commerce.
Administrative sources said the relief consignments included food items, biscuits, bedsheets, mosquito nets, shampoos and soaps. Life jackets were also included for distribution and use in inundated areas. The materials are being provided alongside relief supplied by the state government.
The administration has not, according to the report, announced a timeline for a formal investigation into the embankment failures or detailed the repair and restoration plan for the Kesharpur breach. The next reported steps are the distribution of relief materials in the affected blocks and any decision by the state or district authorities on the requested probe.
