Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Bhutni Embankment Breach Threatens Nearly Two Lakh Residents
An embankment near Bhutni Island broke after the Ganga River caused heavy erosion.
Water is now entering the low-lying area.
Nearly two lakh people live there in three local councils.
The river was close to its extreme danger level on Thursday.
Officials say the water may continue rising for at least three more days.
This could make flooding worse before Durga Puja.
Workers are using sandbags to try to stop more water from entering.
Police are telling people to move to safer places and avoid the repair site.
Residents fear they could become stranded again, as happened last year.
An embankment near Bhutni Island in Malda’s Manikchak breached early Thursday after severe erosion.
Ganga water has begun entering the low-lying Bhutni diara, home to nearly two lakh people across three gram panchayats.
The Ganga stood at 25.11 metres at Manikchak Ghat on Thursday afternoon, just below the extreme danger level.
Officials expect the river to keep rising for at least three days as upstream water moves toward Farakka.
Authorities are placing sandbags and urging residents to move to safer areas, while engineers warn containment may be difficult.
- Who
- Nearly two lakh residents of Bhutni, along with local authorities, engineers, police and political representatives, are affected.
- What
- An embankment breached, allowing Ganga water to enter the Bhutni diara and creating a fresh flood threat.
- When
- The breach occurred early Thursday; the river is expected to continue rising for at least three days.
- Where
- Near Bhutni Island in Manikchak, Malda district, West Bengal; vulnerable areas also include Ratua and Kaliachak-II.
- Why
- Massive erosion and rising Ganga levels weakened and washed away part of the embankment, while upstream water continued moving downstream.
Administrative Response
Political Criticism
Containing the breach
Administrative Response
The administration, Irrigation and Waterways Department, police and local representatives are working to limit further water ingress with sandbags and emergency protection work.
Political Criticism
Senior engineers involved in the operation warn that stopping both the erosion and flooding may be extremely difficult while the river continues to rise.
Responsibility for the embankment
Administrative Response
Emergency teams are focusing on protecting residents and preventing the breach from widening.
Political Criticism
Manikchak MLA Gour Chandra Mondal blamed the previous government, alleging that the embankment constructed in 2025 was poorly built and was merely a “balir bandh,” or sand embankment.
- Affected population
- Nearly two lakh people in Bhutni’s three gram panchayats
- Breach timing
- Early Thursday
- River level
- 25.11 metres at Manikchak Ghat at 2 pm Thursday
- River trend
- Rising by about one centimetre an hour, according to local Irrigation officials
- Expected outlook
- The rising trend is expected to continue for at least three days
- Emergency response
- Sandbags are being placed at the breach, while police are urging residents to move to safer areas
- Previous flooding
- Large parts of Bhutni were inundated and thousands were marooned during last year’s Durga Puja festivities