Posted on April 7, 2025
Jalpaiguri: Before the start of dredging in the Teesta River, a report on the quality of sand and gravel has been submitted to the Irrigation department, which confirms the presence of grade-one quality sand in the riverbed from Sevak to Chumuk Dangi.
State Irrigation Minister Manas Bhuiyan said that the work will be undertaken by the West Bengal Mineral Development Corporation Limited, which will decide the timeline and method of dredging.
Every year, during the monsoon, a layer of sand accumulates in the Teesta riverbed, only to be washed away in the rains. However, after the Sikkim lake disaster of 2023, massive landslides from the Sikkim and Kalimpong hills deposited large amounts of debris in the river. The riverbed rose by three to eight feet in several places, reducing the river’s water-holding capacity.
Following the state government’s instructions, the North-East Division of the Irrigation Department prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for dredging, with an estimated cost of Rs 565 crore. The project was later handed over to the state Mineral Development Corporation.
The department had earlier collected and tested sand samples from five locations in the Teesta. In the latest phase, samples were taken from an additional five sites last month. The final test reports, conducted by the Quality Control Laboratory in Cooch Behar, were submitted to the Jalpaiguri Irrigation Department on Friday, which will be forwarded to the state Irrigation Department in Kolkata on Monday.
As per the report, grade-three quality sand was found slightly downstream of Laltong Basti, while grade-four sand was detected in areas including Milanpally, Biren Basti, Rangdhamali, Paharpur and Mainaguri.
The grade-one sand, which contains gravel, is considered ideal for construction purposes. Similarly, the grade-three sand, though lacking gravel, is also usable for construction. However, grade-four sand is suitable only for filling works such as roads, railway embankments, dams, and building foundations.
Minister Bhuiyan stated: “The responsibility of sand extraction has been handed over to the State Mineral Development Corporation. They will begin operations only after evaluating all necessary aspects. This initiative is essential to restore the river’s capacity, and testing the sand quality beforehand was a crucial step.”
